


The Guardian (Snow and Shadows)

by hawkeyesmyguy



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-16 21:15:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 85,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3503030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hawkeyesmyguy/pseuds/hawkeyesmyguy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the start of what began as an rp with a good friend of mine. She portrays Peter Hale, the man's man in the Teen Wolf world (so he thinks). While I portray his new love interest. I won't be doing any editing on this as sometimes that gets exhausting when it's a two person project so I apologize if some paragraphs are repetitive or recap other things. Enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Either be her father or don’t, it’s not my business, but if you’re only toying with her for your own gain I won’t stand for that. You’ve done enough harm to our family already. You need to decide if you care what happens to her or not.” Derek’s words kept circling through Peter’s head on a loop as he wandered aimlessly into the deep woods of the Beacon Hills preserve, he was unaccustomed to his nephew managing to rattle him but then again things hadn’t really been going right for him for quite awhile now. He knew it had been a mistake to ask Derek if Malia was alright after nearly being taken out by assassins at that ridiculous school bonfire.

Peter’s footfalls were barely audible over the leaf-littered ground, subtlety was second nature to him. He was one of the few werewolves that could not only move silently but also mask his own scent from others. He had never been one of the most powerful of his pack, so he’d learned to use his own talents to greater effect than relying on brute force alone. Operating in the shadows, never letting his enemies and allies alike realize he had them all dancing on strings. It was a skill that easily afforded him solitude when he needed to think in times like these.

He had so many balls in the air at once right now, so many tangled threads and worst of all unknown factors to try and anticipate. But even so for all his plans and machinations he knew he needed to be focused on, he couldn’t get what Derek had said out of his mind. Peter didn’t feel any guilt or remorse about manipulating Malia into helping him track down the Desert Wolf. It was actually a little amusing to him how easily he could direct the young girl, slowly starting to lead her down a path of his choosing away from Scott’s obnoxiously black and white moral thinking in particular. He couldn’t rely on Derek’s loyalty anymore, and if he couldn’t convince his own daughter to be on his side, then who? But for all that, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge in his chest when his nephew threw his concern for Malia back in his face. He was still her father after all, wasn’t it only natural for him to care if his daughter lived or died?

Peter was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he didn’t see that he wasn’t alone in the quiet of the trees till it was almost too late for him to stay hidden. He plastered himself to the broad trunk of a tree and peered around it, blinking twice in disbelief at what he was seeing. Climbing nearly vertically down over a pile of tumbled rock, a sleek white snow leopard was stalking a rabbit at the base of the dropoff. The graceful predator moved as silent and deliberately as he did, it’s prey completely unaware that it was enjoying it’s last few seconds of life. It was over almost faster than he could track, the leopard springing on the hapless coney and killing it instantly with one powerful bite to the back of it’s neck. Peter watched in fascination as the cat picked up it’s quarry and turned to climb back up the way it had come, probably taking the kill back to a more sheltered spot to enjoy it.

Peter hardly needed the confirmation considering out outlandish it was to come across a wild snow leopard in the middle of California, but when he looked at the cat with his ice blue lupine gaze he knew for sure that it was more than a mere beast, and he caught a whiff of her scent letting him know she was female. The corner of his mouth quirked up at the novelty of this chance extraordinary find, for the moment all his other troubles and plans forgotten. It was extremely rare for a Were of any sort to be able to fully shift into their animal form, his sister and niece being examples of the trait had taught him first hand just how powerful and prized such an ability was. If he wasn’t so caught up with remaining undiscovered by the cat, he might’ve chuckled that he seemed fated to run into every last fully transformative female Were in the nation if not the whole damn world.

Peter tracked around the exposed rock of the little cliff the snow leopard had climbed, knowing he wouldn’t be able to scale it without giving himself away. He picked up her trail quickly, she was skilled enough to leave no tracks but the fresh scent of the rabbit’s blood was easier to follow than a series of neon signs. The werewolf flexed his senses trying to perceive her as quickly as possible, hoping to get a fairly good measure of her before letting her know he was there. Winning over someone with her abilities opened up a world of possibilities to him, he wouldn’t need that unstable bitch Kate anymore for starters. That was a powder keg waiting to explode and just getting rid of that problem alone made it worth the risk of tempting fate. And if nothing else if he couldn’t use her to accomplish his ends, he could gain a fair amount of power for himself by killing her. He was bitterly disappointed when killing Laura hadn’t granted him the ability to fully transform, but he’d still take the considerable power staining this cat’s white fur red would give him.

Winter scaled the very edge of the rocky hillside, keeping steady and silent on her toes as the feline carried her kill to a safer place for eating without disruption. Though still considered human she had grown rather used to fending for herself and eating what she could find even if that meant enjoying it raw. Her senses keen enough to know what parts to eat and what not to, she had done this for almost a decade now after all and she prefered the solitude without her clan to track her every move.

It had been a long road to even part from her ‘family’ and something she debated on for a long while before deciding that while her shot at surviving alone was slim to none should she ever be traced, the life she lived with her clan wasn’t truly a life she wanted at all. Option A seemed to be the far better choice in her opinion and so far she traveled from the Canadian Rockies down into California, heading further south without much issue at all.

She tucked herself away inside the ledge she found, circling to the other side of her space and dropping down on her belly to pick apart the flesh of the animal she had just caught, pulling at its fur and getting deeper into the core. The snow leopard half purred in delight as she ate her kill, hunting was always far more satisfying to her and it meant she never had a need for money when she had clothes for when she took her human form and food and water for days so long as she worked a little for it. She might not have been born this way but she had grown well accustomed to surviving off the land and taking on more of her feline side than anything else. The others thought her strange or perhaps a threat for all she knew but… she was different and that much was obvious.

Her brilliant blue orbs casted over to the image lying just at the top of her duffle bag, letting herself remember why she needed to be segregated like this now. After all their efforts together… The Were grunted lowly and tore her gaze away, continuing on with her meal until her belly was well past satisfied, lying her head down along her front paws and letting her eyes close the darker it got until her ears caught the sound of movement so subtle she wasn’t sure if she even truly heard anything at all or if the silence of the night was starting to get to her.

Winter sniffed the air, ears dropping back against her head when she stood on all fours, her long speckled and striped tail flicking at the end as she peered out the opening of her home. She saw nothing, heard nothing but rustling leaves in the distance and it eased her mind enough that she allowed herself to shift into human form. She climbed up onto her feet and moved back towards her duffle, rifling through it and pulling on a shirt, panties and a pair of pants, wiping her mouth clean of blood and settling herself with her back against the rock wall beside her.

Her small feet poked out the opening but the breeze felt soothing on her skin, wondering absently if perhaps she should chance continuing on and starting her travels for tomorrow earlier than she had planned. She was startled by the sound of footsteps once more, human footsteps that made her heart race in her chest. The last interaction she had didn’t end very well and ever since she never thought herself capable of doing so again. The brunette pulled her feet inside the opening just as feet dropped down beside her escape along the rocks and she jumped in fright, only furthered by a face appearing soon to follow.

A tall broad shouldered man, perhaps mid to late thirties was staring right at her to the point she was almost certain he could read her thoughts. She was backed nearly into a corner, no time to pack up and run and if he wanted anything from her she would have to fight once again. “I’ll scream.” She said in as firm of a tone she could manage with her quickened pulse. The man simply chuckled, raising his hands in defense and asking her why she might want to do that. Her brow furrowed, grabbing the strap of her bag, readying herself on her feet to bolt should she need to. “Because you followed me didn’t you? Because I don’t know you.” She answered, her breathing picking up as her nails dug into the flesh of her palm, already preparing to shift once more and fight or run and she was faster in her full feline form.

Peter smiled gently at the woman staring him down with her back pinned against the cave, for all that she made play at being a wild creature she certainly wasn’t mindful of keeping herself from being cornered like an animal would. He kept his hands raised and open to show her he wasn’t going to try anything untoward.

“You don’t know me yes, but I am like you.” Peter responded in a calm tone, allowing his control concealing his lupine nature to relax enough so that her supernatural senses would perceive his true self. She started and uttered a single word, labeling him for what he truly was. Peter nodded and slowly lowered his hands, taking a half-step back hoping the extra space would put her somewhat at ease. “That’s right, werewolf.” He confirmed, looking her up and down from her disheveled brunette hair to her dainty yet dirty bare feet. His keen eyes took in every detail, analyzed everything from the way she held herself to the genuine fear that sprang up in her bright eyes when she realized what he was. Peter loved details and hated unknowns, so he trained himself to observe and memorize as much information as possible for later use in the blink of an eye.

“I take it you’re not the biggest fan of wolves, hmm? Is that who you’re running from, a werewolf? Your sire perhaps?” Peter queried, smiling empathetically but being careful not to come on too strong with the sympathy act, if he was going to make any headway here he’d have to do what he did best, be subtle. She didn’t speak, simply nodding and he bit his lower lip and nodded in return. “Well I can’t say I blame you there. Historically cats and dogs don’t exactly get along now do they?” He chuckled lightly but it did little to ease the tension he could practically feel radiating off of her. She asked him how he knew what she was, accusing now rather than just suspecting him of following her.

“Easy, easy-” Peter soothed when her heart rate spiked and he held up his hands again, not threatening but quietly reminding her that the only way out of the confines of the cave was through him. “Yes I was following you, though it wasn’t exactly marked on my day calendar. I live near by, and I come out to these woods often to think. You can’t blame me for being a little curious, seeing a snow leopard roaming the woods of central California.” He reasoned calmly, pleased when she relaxed marginally. “When I was reasonably certain you were on your own out here, I thought I’d do the neighborly thing, one supernatural being to another. Do you have any place to go? It’s supposed to storm pretty badly tonight. I’m sure you can smell it coming on the wind.” He didn’t directly ask her to come back with him because it would be too easy for her to simply shut down and say no, instead waiting patiently for her to weigh the risks of staying out here versus putting a measure of trust in a perfect stranger with a kind smile.

She asked him why he would be willing to offer her shelter, giving him more clues as to the kind of person she was and the sort of life she led. He was rather pleased actually that she was smart enough not to take him up on his offer immediately, he was a sucker for playing the game and it didn’t hurt that under the layer of dirt and twigs this woman was insanely beautiful. He guessed her to be in her mid twenties, a little young for him perhaps but if getting her to fall for him helped ensure that those claws she was currently digging into her own hands never turned on him, he wouldn’t complain too much.

“Look, I wish I could say I’m just a nice guy who doesn’t want to see a lady caught out in the rain, but the truth is that if you’re already running from one pack, the last thing you need is to get on the bad side of another.” Peter took another couple steps back, offering her a way out past him so it seemed more like he was really giving her a choice. “My family has called this area home for generations, and while we’re more magnanimous than most werewolves, it would still be better for you not to be wandering around here uninvited as it were. If you come back with me I can vouch for you, let them know you’re just passing through.” He told her in a matter of fact tone and chuckling inwardly at how little his word would really count with Derek, Scott or any of their backup singers. Some people just didn’t know how to let go of the past and move on. Of course he had no intention of letting her just waltz out of here, but the last thing he wanted right now was for her to catch on to that. He had to make her think she was making the choice to stay here, and from the way her expression was changing as she thought over what he’d said Peter was sure that the first pieces were falling into place just how he wanted.

Winter eased even if only slightly, watching him step back a pace or two each time that he spoke to her about her option to follow him wherever it was he might lead or risk drowning or being carried away by the wind. “Why are you so willing to house me? What does that bring to you?” She asked, trying to keep her tone as strong and even as she could manage in the presence of a stranger, not just any stranger but one with abilities like hers on a number of levels she assumed. That meant one thing most importantly to her, that she might not actually be able to outrun him even if she chose that route.

The man before took another couple strides back to offer her more of an exit route and again she looked him over curiously, side stepping between him and another boulder beside her. He made no move in either direction, simply watched her starting to opt out but then he spoke about his pack, the danger they might offer her in her travels as well considering according to him they had all made this home. “The territory isn’t marked.” She informed him, lifting her chin to seem taller though even standing on her toes he had to be a good foot taller than her.

He chuckled and shook his head, mentioning that wasn’t always their way of claiming land, instead they had built something of their own space in the town. “That really doesn’t do you any good if you hide yourselves and make no indication that other Were’s live here.” She stated, not missing the look on his face that told her he thought her way was a little ridiculous but rather than saying anything he simply nodded, claiming that was fair and offering a final time to be her salvation.

Her blue-green eyes darted past him and up into the trees, wondering if they would stand well against the wind and rain or if the rock shelter she had opted for originally would be enough cover. It wasn’t a deep cavern but she could wedge herself into smaller spaces if she needed to, she had learned survival and learned not to jump too far into trusting someone anymore. Past experiences made her weary but the smile he offered her made that thought that he could be dangerous vanish entirely in her mind. She nodded, carefully adjusting her things on her back and waiting expectantly for him to do something else.

The tall man waited as well, seeming to want further assurance. “Do you have to tell others?” She asked, bouncing after him when he suddenly started walking in the opposite direction. He shrugged, claiming he wasn’t one to want to keep things from his pack like that, especially when that might make it seem he was housing a fugitive or something along the lines. He made Winter jolt when he spun around to ask if that was what she was.

The leopard shook her head, her matted hair falling over her shoulder as she adjusted her bag once more. “You don’t like to keep things from your pack and I don’t like to talk about myself. But what if I am dangerous? I’m told I am, you know.” She informed him, half galloping forward to keep up with his longer yet more casual strides. He smirked to himself and said he had a certain trust with others, could read that if she meant harm she would have done it by now. “Maybe not. I like to startle my prey or corner it. We’re stealthy creatures.”

Again he laughed at her, keeping walking and asking a final time if she was staying outside to chance the storm or not. “What’s your name?” Winter asked without answering his own question directly, simply keeping pace with him, unbothered by the brush covered ground as she walked barefooted through the forest. She hadn’t wandered the area enough to understand where they were heading nor voice her opinion on it but she felt a certain comfort from his presence, like he knew exactly where they were heading and what he was doing. When thunder clapped in the surrounding air she ducked instinctively and ran in front of him, back peddling to watch the sky, her eyes glowing blue as she scoped the surrounding area and got a feel for just how bad this storm might be.

The man answered that his name was Peter, asking for hers but again she didn’t pay him the courtesy of answering. “You said your pack is magna--” She started, “Magnamnous?” She furrowed her brow, trying to recall how he put it and looking past him to the sky still until he gave her the word she was looking for. Her eyes dimmed and she glanced to his face, distracted by his handsome features and nodding, “Yeah magnanimous. More magnanimous? What’s that mean?” She continued, trotting up closer beside him and balancing up on her toes trying to be as tall as him but to no success.

Peter as he called himself explained the definition of the word confusing her, saying they were more supportive of the smaller people, aids to a certain extent, didn’t like to pick on the less powerful. He stopped walking and started to turn and she crashed into his side, unfazed and skipping around to his other side. “Less powerful? Why because you’re mutts?” She snipped, staring up at him as his hand absently nudged her a ways back from his personal space. He shook his head, thanking her for the term of endearment she chose sarcastically and mentioning that she was alone which made her less of a threat as well.

Winter nodded, following the rest of the way to his place and gazing down as her feet hit pavement. “Where are you taking me?” She muttered, wiggling her toes on the cold ground, stopping in her tracks. He sighed heavily and pointed to an apartment complex, brick front buildings with a nice courtyard in the front, answering that this was where he lived. “I thought you were taking me to your pack because it was the right thing to do?.... Peter? Did you guys build these? How big is your pack?” She questioned further, only getting answers to a few of anything she brought up.

The man laughed, asking if she had thought he lived in a cave or hollowed tree and when she nodded his chuckling subsided. Her expression never changed from the one of worry she wore the rest of the walk, she hadn’t been inside but a few supermarkets for essential things like toothpaste when she absolutely needed it but aside from that she hadn’t been under a roof in years because she had carefully avoided it entirely.


	2. Chapter 2

Peter recovered from his laughter at the woman’s seemingly endless stream of questions, noting yet again that she neglected to give him even her first name. He led her down the short side street that branched away from the larger apartment buildings to a small cul de sac lined with quaint two story townhouses, the center of which he lived in. The neighborhood was nauseatingly picturesque, every yard adorned with well tended gardens and the air was constantly humming with the sounds of children playing and birds chirping. It was a perfect place for someone like him, surrounding himself with the mundane and contrived, making those around him think he was just another suburbanite with nothing to hide was the best cover imaginable.

“I will let my pack know about you, probably take you to meet them but now isn’t the time. It’s late and you’ve been through a lot, you can rest here tonight, get cleaned up and have something hot to eat if you like. Tomorrow we’ll get everything sorted out.” Peter explained as he led her up to his front door and took out his keys to unlock it. He stepped inside and flicked on the living room light, glancing back over his shoulder when the brunette didn’t immediately follow him inside. “It’s all right. You’ll be safe here.” Peter soothed, smiling kindly and feeling a surge of smug satisfaction when his cautious companion smiled back at him in return, stepping over his threshold and into his plans for the future.

Peter wasted no time, heading up the stairs at a quick pace so that she would have to hurry after him to keep up, not giving her time to doubt her choice to come inside. “You can put your bag in the guest room here.” He opened the door to the left of his own master bedroom, revealing a small but nicely furnished room decorated in his modern minimalist style. His guest stepped past him into the room, setting her worn canvas duffle bag on the floor at the foot of the neatly made queen size bed and reaching out to gently run her hand over the muted gray coverlet. Peter leaned his shoulder against the doorframe, smiling absently at the way she inspected the room like she hadn’t been in a real bedroom in decades. Though judging from what he’d seen of her so far, that could very well be the case.

He gave her a few moments more to get a feel for the space before speaking up again, tossing his head over his shoulder, “The bathroom is across the hall, I’ll get you a couple towels so you can freshen up. Have you got anything clean to change into? I can lend you something to sleep in and we can wash what you’ve got for tomorrow.” Peter more instructed rather than offered, the snow leopard did seem eager about the prospect of a shower, though he couldn’t help but grin a bit at the wary look she gave him when he brought up doing laundry. She must’ve ran with some real gems before if she was nervous that he might take what few possessions she had when he didn’t exactly have any use for a few changes of tattered women’s clothing.

Finally she nodded and he turned down the hall to open the small linen closet, pulling out a couple fluffy black towels. He turned back to face her and raised his brows at the curious face she was making, laughing when she commented on him having a whole closet just for towels. “Well in my defense there are blankets and sheets in there as well.” He said in a teasing tone, holding out the towels for her and gently prodding her lower back to get her to step into the bathroom when she still seemed hesitant. “There’s soap in the shower and a couple combs and things in the drawers, just rummage around till you find what you want. I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.” He assured her, heading downstairs without a backward glance.

Peter switched on his electric kettle for tea, throwing together a few things for his houseguest to eat in case she was still hungry after that raw rabbit he’d seen her eating earlier that day. He listened to the sound of the shower running and considered going and looking through her duffle bag, but he decided against risking it for the first night, opting for treading carefully. It seemed like she was responding well to him so far but it was obvious she would spook easily. After about twenty minutes Peter went back upstairs to fetch a pair of drawstring cotton pants and a dark t-shirt for her to change into, leaving them on the end of her bed. He grinned as he walked back down the hallway and heard her still in the shower, humming absently to herself. He imagined the hot running water was something of a luxury to a young woman who spent most of her days barefoot in the woods.

The werewolf went back downstairs and settled on his long couch, reading to fill the time waiting for his guest to finally finish her shower but only half paying attention to the pages of his novel. His mind was spinning a thousand miles a minute, devising plans and counterplans with this new element he’d been lucky enough to find. He could easily have everything he wanted with this woman’s loyalty: Kate out of the picture, a trump card against the benefactor and the money-grubbing assassins responding to her siren call, an unbiased ally in his search for the Desert Wolf, which in turn would be a stepping stone to increasing and securing his own power.

Peter heard the shower turn off after nearly fifty minutes, and it was another twenty before she even left the bathroom but he figured she had quite the project on her hands untangling her mess of long brunette hair. He was nothing if not patient, looking up when she finally appeared at the top of the stairs. Peter’s bright blue eyes widened at the sight of her, clean and fresh she was even more stunning, her features no longer obscured by dirt or a wild tangle of hair. The corner of his mouth curved up as she came down the stairs, damn he had not expected to like the look of her in his clothing so much. She ran her fingers through her long wet hair, thanking him for the shower commenting that it had been ages since she’d enjoyed hot water and he chuckled, getting up off the couch to guide her into his kitchen.

“I imagine so. Are you hungry at all or just tea for now? I’ve got other choices if you like but I figured you might want something hot to drink.” He offered, pouring the hot water he had waiting into a black ceramic mug and the rich scent of tea steeping made his companion breathe deeply and let out a little sigh of satisfaction. Peter chuckled lightly and handed her the mug, letting his hands linger on hers a moment more than necessary.

Winter couldn’t even recall the last chance she had to enjoy warm water, feeling safe enough with this man, Peter that she spent as long as her skin would allow in the steady stream before she started wrinkling from the water. She continued to hum pleasingly as she brushed through every inch of her hair, detangling it until it lay smooth. She wandered out in her towel to the edge of what would now be her bed at least for the night, carefully picking up the first clean outfit that she had worn since taking off on her own.

The leopard dressed in the soft cotton shirt and sweats, both loose on her but strangely comforting, like a blanket just from the dryer. She hugged her arms around herself and looked into the small circular mirror against the wall, seeing most of her frame, clean and dressed without dirt and grime on her face was odd but not distressing so she smiled at her own reflection before skipping downstairs to join her new companion.

The young woman caught his eyes on her from the instant she took a hold of the banister, making her way two steps at a time to meet him. “Thank you for the shower and also the clothes. It’s been a long time since I’ve had water even remotely close to warm.” She hummed, pulling her long hair over her shoulder and running her fingers through the ends as he stood up and offered her food and drink. She followed obediently into the kitchen and breathing in the scent of her surroundings, catching warmed tea and purring softly as she imagined its taste.

Peter handed her a mug, his large fingers resting over hers and for a second or two she thought nothing of it until he directed that sideways smile of his down to her. She felt her cheeks burning and her heart fluttering from the attention he was giving her for the moment and she smiled nervously back at him. “Thank you, Peter.” She murmured, moving her smaller hand and curiously touching the back of his rough fingers and hand. He nodded in acceptance of her appreciation and gently offered her something to eat once more as their contact broke but their gazes never left one anothers.

“Do you have meat?” Winter asked, glancing down at her mug and watching the steam rise from the hot liquid, waiting patiently for it to subside before she even considered taking a sip. He chuckled and mentioned that he could make her a sandwich, bread, meat, veggies and other fixings. She nodded, feeling him closer in her space as his hand pressed to her back once more and he gently guided her to the other room, instructing her to do as she pleased while he made her a meal.

The brunette did as he asked of her, drinking her tea while he went back into the kitchen and she took the time to inspect his place. Her green-blue eyes darting from the opening to the kitchen, seeing him at one end working on her sandwich and looking back up at the shelves of books he had. She put her mug aside and took a few down to read over the covers, as much as she could anyways considering she didn’t exactly have chance to practice what she learned as a kid or teen. She left a trail of books misplaced on the floor, table and shelves, dropping the one in her hand and wandering further to better understand the man she would be housed with for the evening.

She wasn’t even sure what she was looking for… a sign that she should escape when she had a chance she supposed and even with his kindness thus far she hadn’t decided quite yet if she would stay after he fed her, cleaned her things and fell asleep himself. Perhaps she would take what she could and run off with more supplies now. She jolted as she stepped onto a different surface, a plush grey rug that lie beneath his furniture she was circling around. She dragged her toe along the surface, letting it get caught between each digit until she heard the ding of something in the kitchen, craning her head to see Peter pulling the bread and meat from a machine.

He came out with her food, gesturing for her to sit with him and she climbed over the back of the sofa, settling as far over in the corner as she could manage, her small frame curving in on itself as she ate the warm, delicious smelling sandwich he had pieced together for her. “Why do you live here?” She asked him, listening absently to his explanation that his pack decided on blending in and being a part of society in order to keep a low profile. “Why not just stay in the woods? Can’t you change?” She continued, brow wrinkling when he said he couldn’t change fully like her therefore their way made more sense and she nodded.

Peter leaned a little closer and his arm slung over the back of the sofa, making her face him weary of what he might be doing. He did nothing more than get comfortable with a light grunt, beginning to ask her questions about where she had come from. A large part of her wanted to make something up while the other part wanted to tell him he had no right to know anything about her anyways but instead she swallowed her large bite and began speaking. “I’m from the Canadian Rockies. At least since I was turned and I’ve been on the move for a long while, hiding from the others. I don’t think anyone is looking for me anyways because I’m different.”

He asked her what her name was, mentioning before she could open her mouth to ask him something in return that he was the one doing the questioning this round as if they were involved in some sort of game she hadn’t signed up to play. “I don’t like that.” She informed him but he stared at her with that smile again and slowly it urge her to break her glare and look away bashfully as she mumbled her response. “Winter. My name is Winter.”

 

Peter managed to find a balance of being in the skittish woman’s space without actually touching her, wanting her to get accustomed to his presence without making her feel any sort of pressure. He could generally charm women into doing just about anything for him, but his usual tact wasn’t going to work with this one, she had too much of that wild creature in her. Still she wasn’t immune entirely, one winning smile from him trading her suspicious glare for a flustered blush that he thought suited her pretty features far better.

Finally he managed to get her name out of her, but it was all he could do to suppress the knee-jerk swell of laughter that likely wouldn’t go over well when he did hear it. Instead he raised his brows and smiled crookedly at her, only letting a shade of the amusement he felt come through in his voice, “Winter? Winter the snow leopard hmm?” He chuckled, shifting to face her more fully on the sofa when she flushed and commented that she was perfectly aware how ridiculous her name was like she had heard such comments a thousand times before. “No no, I think it’s fitting. Makes it seem like… You were fated for the gift you received.” He interjected kindly, studying her features one by one and enjoying the way his focus on her maintained the blush in her cheeks.

Winter’s gaze dropped from his face and she murmured that she had never thought of what had been done to her as a gift, though it had allowed her to survive on her own at least. Peter shrugged, slowly moving closer but still carefully not touching her as he spoke, “I wouldn’t be so quick to belittle what you are. It sounds like your maker didn’t do a very good job of explaining just how special you are Winter.” Peter said quietly, trailing his voice down to a bare whisper so that she had to lean in closer to him to catch the end of his sentence. Her round aqua eyes widened with surprise at his words, curiosity superceding her suspicion like he knew it would. She asked him cautiously what he meant by special and he smiled gently keeping his tone low and nonthreatening.

“I could tell you, but it would be far easier to show you. Are you familiar with the way memories and information can be exchanged between our kind?” He asked, getting his answer from the way her hand automatically went to the back of her neck. She nodded, her eyes narrowing with confusion when she mentioned that she thought it was a skill only an alpha could use. Peter nodded, “That’s generally the case, yes. But it’s something a former alpha can manage as well.” He explained, seeing her interest in him increase drastically and of course she started asking questions about him. He shook his head slightly and shut down her inquiries with a soft laugh, “That’s a long story for another night. Right now we’re talking about you, remember? What you are, what you can do- It’s quite remarkable.” He reiterated, slowly reaching out towards her with one hand, giving her plenty of time and space to tell him no but when she went still and didn’t balk he went ahead and placed his fingertips in a line along the back of her neck.

Winter shivered slightly at his touch and he was fairly certain it wasn’t all from apprehension. “I’ll be as gentle as I can, I promise.” Peter whispered, his eyes flaring their true ethereal blue shade and in the same instant his claws sank deep into the leopard’s neck. Winter gasped and went rigid, her body jolting and trembling ever so slightly as Peter opened her mind’s eye to a few very specific and poignant memories about his older sister Talia Hale. He imparted the impression of his sister’s power to Winter, along with the knowledge he had concerning just how rare someone who could fully shift was, the potential they held to become the most powerful Weres in existence. He showed her in seconds what it would’ve taken hours to explain, how much discipline and mastery it took to reach the level of power his sister had held, carefully avoiding revealing even a hint of his own jealousy and resentment as he grew up watching Talia outstrip him to such a degree when he could only ever partially transform into a full wolf form.

After a few moments that probably felt more like hours to Winter, he released his hold. The brunette pitched forward and he quickly caught her before she fell off the couch entirely, gently laying her back against the cushions and keeping a light grip on her to keep her steady. “Easy, deep breaths.” He soothed, smoothing back her still damp tresses behind her ears and enjoying the way her heartbeat skipped at his touch. Peter searched her eyes, looking for indications of how she had taken the revelation he’d given her. Finally she spoke in a whisper, asking him if his sister was his pack’s alpha and he sighed with more sadness than he actually felt.

“No. Talia was killed many years ago, in a fire that claimed most of my family’s lives and nearly mine as well.” Peter responded in a subdued tone, not stopping the gentle motion of running his fingertips through her hair at her temples since she was leaning into it without even seeming to realize it. She probably hadn’t had any human contact for quite some time, and no matter how much a person told themselves they didn’t need it, touch was a built in basic need just as much as hunger or thirst. “I wish she could be here to help you, share her experience with the shift. I know a lot about it, but it’s not the same as having access to the source. One thing I do know for certain, there’s no way your former pack isn’t still looking for you. And you can’t keep running forever.” He murmured, his face so close to hers now that his lips nearly brushed hers when he spoke. Winter’s cheeks were flushed but she was breathing slow, almost in a trance from the combination of his gentle touch and carefully honed tone of voice. In that moment he knew that if he closed that last small distance between them she wouldn’t resist the contact.

But rather than do so, Peter slowly leaned back, inwardly pleased when she followed him forward for the barest instant before realizing she was doing so and instantly pulled away out of range of his touch. He had to leave her wanting more, make her think she was the one making the choice to act. He could see the confusion on her pretty features, like she was torn between wanting to ask him more, or perhaps ask for more and the instinct to protect herself from the unknown and escape like the wild feline inside her was urging her to.

The bright eyed and curious snow leopard was more than a little intrigued by the man before her, her mind reeling from all that he had shown her but she did her best to steady her breathing despite all she had seen. She focused as best she could on one question at a time, asking him about his sister in fuller detail and he explained in a light yet sorrowful tone with his fingers running through her hair and along her temple. She leaned into his touch unconscious of her own movements or the way her heart was rapidly pounding in her chest as she watched his pretty blue eyes.

Winter felt the urge to close the space as well as reach out for him, wanting to return the gesture. There was more she wanted to know of course also but when he sat back and stopped touching her all together, her face turned away, brushing her fingers along her temple where his hand had been and debating on asking him why he had stopped when she enjoyed his touch or asking all she wanted to know about his family and himself.

“Why did you stop?” She finally managed to ask him, her pulse racing and heart still hammering in her chest telling her she might be being ridiculous by having even followed a stranger at all let alone become intrigued enough by him to allow him to be within range of her at all. Peter didn’t answer her, continuing on about how special she was with what she could do and talking further of his family. She nodded and listened to him silently, wanting to ask more about herself and why he claimed she was likely being followed by her pack but she didn’t. “Peter why did you stop?” She asked again.

He smiled and mentioned that it was getting late now, “Felines are primarily nocturnal, Peter.” She murmured softly, shaking her head when he asked if she was tired. If what he said was true, her pack was after her then perhaps she wouldn’t last alone anymore. She needed someone to trust and Peter and his pack might just be those allies, she had to get in good with him to guarantee her place and there were few ways she knew how to survive.

“Felines are primarily--” She repeated but he cut her off and laughingly said the final word, mentioning that he heard what she had said the first time. The brunette nodded slowly, “Well then you asked if I was tired so I thought maybe you didn’t understand.” She stated, sitting up on her knees and bracing her hands on the couch cushion waiting for him to say something. He claimed he understood and she smiled, “Then I’m not ready to sleep yet.” She carefully took his large hand, guiding it to her face again and he took the cue she offered to brush her hair back again and stroke her cheek with his thumb.

The brunette nuzzled into his palm, steadying her hands on his legs instead and leaning into his space expectantly but again he stared and waited for her to take lead. She shifted once more, her chin lifting and her nose nudging his, heart racing as she lightly pressed her lips to his, feeling him respond in kind. “I’m not tired.” She reminded, lips brushing his as her breathing picked up.

She gasped as she felt his hand clasp around her hip suddenly, his movement fast and insistent, helping her forward. Winter squeaked, falling into him again and bracing her hands on his chest as she kissed him again.


	3. Chapter 3

Peter reclined back and simply waited for her to come to him, knowing full well that she would. Winter leaned in closer and brushed her nose to his, but even then he still remained passive until she finally closed the tiny gap remaining between them herself. Her lips were soft and inviting, and the clean scent of his shampoo mingled with the natural sweetness of her scent was intoxicating. He kissed her back and smirked a bit against her lips when she reiterated that the last thing she wanted to do right now was sleep, and he was in complete agreement. Peter reached out and gripped her tightly, yanking her forward into his lap, his desire flaring as her slight weight settled atop him.

Peter kept one hand on her hip, using the other to grip the back of her neck and keep her pinned close to his frame. Her long still damp hair draped down her back over his arm, cooling his skin and he felt little goosebumps rise over his upper half. The werewolf encouraged her to wrap her arms around his neck as they kissed, deepening it and pressing her as tightly to him as possible. What he’d deduced about her starving for affectionate contact or human touch of any kind for that matter wasn’t exactly exclusive to her, it had been awhile since he’d been with anyone and he found her taste and feel more than appealing. A lot more.

Peter sat forward on the couch and Winter started tugging his white cotton shirt up his back, making him growl deep in his chest as her fingernails scratched at his skin in her eagerness. He could smell her want for him and it only made him hungrier for her, getting an added high from the sheer satisfaction of knowing he was flawlessly succeeding in drawing her into his web. 

But still even as he broke from her long enough to remove his shirt all the way and let her run her hands over his muscled torso while he leaned in to nip and kiss at her throat, he didn’t relax his guard fully. Maybe she craved the attention pure and simple, or perhaps she thought she owed him this for his hospitality, but she might just as easily be waiting for the chance to slit his throat and disappear into the night with whatever she could carry for the road.

Winter mewled softly as his lips grazed on her throat, rocking her hips down into his making him more than ready for her. But Peter still stuck to his play, holding back just enough to make her have to keep spurring him on, cementing in her mind that this was her idea, that she was the one calling the shots about how far things went between them. 

The leopard reached down to grip his hand at her hip and tugged it up beneath her borrowed shirt, encouraging him to touch her more and he complied, pulling the shirt up over her head and smiling at her little giggle as her long hair fell back down over her shoulders once her head was free of the garment. Peter’s blue gaze darkened as he devoured her bare full chest with his eyes, sweeping his hands up to fondle her. He craned his head down to sample her sweet flesh earning little moans and gasps from her with every touch and nip. Peter could smell how wet she was getting for him and that at least told him she probably wasn’t looking for a moment of vulnerability to gut him, not to mention that it turned him on to a ridiculous degree. Her sounds and scent were starting to make him regret that this wasn’t just for pleasure alone, but after all if he could have a little fun while furthering his own ends, why not?

Winter moaned his name and he was surprised by how much he enjoyed the sound, making it his objective to make her scream it before the night was over. He closed his mouth over one rosy peak and nipped harder at her, making her jolt and cry out loudly. She was likely hypersensitive to his touch having gone so long with nothing, and that only made him more eager to unravel her. 

He slid his hands down her sides, encouraging her to move in a steady rhythm in his lap wondering if he could manage to get her off before even getting into her pants, or rather his pants really. She gripped him hard enough to break his skin as he continued to tease her hardened nipples with his teeth and tongue, bearing down on him hard and in a matter of moments he got his answer, grinning as he tipped his head up to watch her blue-green eyes roll back in her head as she fell apart in his lap.

Winter had but a few encounters like this with members of her clan or as Peter called it, her pack. She had in part been coaxed into it by those same men, encouraged that she owed them that, that this was what she was meant to want and she was supposed to be their release so she allowed it. She never put up a fight, never told them no but there was more than one time that she wanted to have the option though really she didn’t.

Peter was different from the very second that they touched, kissed, he let her have the lead and she almost didn’t know how to handle it when given such a position without paying a price for it. She allowed for him to undress her steadily, her top first and she grasped his shoulders, breathing heavily as he looked her over. She managed a giggle, enjoying the way that he openly eyed her, a look that wasn’t at all unwanted.

He grasped her hips and mouthed at her pert chest, his eyes never leaving her body as he worked and guided her along his hardening length. She moaned his name airily, trembling at his touch and the sensations he was causing in her body, things she had never managed to feel before. She swiveled her hips and groaned, her head lulling back and her eyes rolling back in her head as she came in her borrowed bottoms.

“Shit.” She huffed, falling forward against his chest and purring pleasingly as she came down from her first pleasure. His own breathing was still harsh, feeling his heart beat matching her own and she knew he wanted all of her just as badly as she did him. She hadn’t ever gotten off before, not at all and certainly not like that with the aid of a lover. He smirked up at her, his hands running up and down her thighs but he made no move to take them off.

The brunette mewled with further want, insistently pushing his fingers to hook into her drawstring bottoms. He chuckled and asked her where she was taking this though clearly he knew with the way his eyes were blown wide with desire. She worked open his jeans as he huffed breath against her lips, watching her face as she tugged his briefs down insistently. She could feel his smirk against her lips when they met, helping him wriggle out of his jeans and briefs, freeing him just enough she could have him.

Winter managed to slip off the sweats she borrowed from the man beneath her, bare above him and enjoying the look on his face as he took in the sight of her. She ground against his tip, the lack of a barrier making her far more sensitive and she gasped, having to pause as a shudder worked through her. “Take me.” She encouraged, tightening her legs around his hips and guiding his tip to her slick center. “I’ll take care of you Peter. I promise.” She said, caught off guard when he grunted and yanked her down onto him fully, forcing her to accommodate him, growling that he didn’t need care so much. She gasped, nodding slightly and digging her nails in his skin, arching back and riding him erratically.

 

Peter exhaled raggedly as he thrust into her tight heat, the thin ring of his irises still remaining around his blown pupils flaring steel blue. Winter started bouncing up and down erratically in his lap, loud broken cries of pleasure falling from her parted lips every time she sank back down onto him. Peter braced his feet squarely on the floor and drove up into her motions more forcefully, his corded muscles tightening and bunching under his taut skin as he moved. Winter’s hands splayed over his shoulders and down to grip his biceps, using him to keep herself steady as she rode him.

The werewolf looked his prize over as she rapidly built up to her second release, “Are you close beautiful?” He asked in a harsh whisper, speeding his pace when she nodded and relishing the sight of her lovely body writhing and jolting above him and the feeling of him soaking his thighs with her pleasure as she came once more. Peter growled low in his chest as she clamped and fluttered around him, using every bit of his control to keep his body in check as he let her ride out her climax. 

Winter shuddered and slumped in his lap, panting and taking a moment to even realize that he hadn’t followed her over the edge. She glanced down at where they remained joined and back up at his eyes, a look of mingled confusion and admiration adorning her flushed face. Peter smirked and arched his eyebrow at her playfully, wordlessly daring her to another round as though he doubted she might not be able to handle it.

Winter giggled and slowly eased off of him, making both of them sigh from the loss of the connection of their bodies. She laced her fingers behind his neck and tugged at him to follow her down on the couch, but he remained solidly in place and only grinned wider at her questioning glance. Peter leaned forward to press his lips to the brunette’s ear, “Hold on to me.” He prompted in a whisper reaching around her narrow waist to shuck his jeans and briefs the rest of the way off. He worked his hands between their thighs and held her securely as he stood, crossing the living room and proceeding up the stairs completely unperturbed by his own nakedness despite the fact that his blinds weren’t shut. Anyone who might happen to walk by at such a late hour could enjoy the free show as far as he was concerned.

Peter carried her down the hall, placing errant kisses and nips along her neck and chest as he went. Winter reached blindly behind herself to open his bedroom door at his prompting before sealing her lips to his, mewling lightly into his mouth as he began guiding her with his hands to grind her clit against his hardness before he set her down on his immaculately made bed. Winter glanced around his bedroom a bit but she was largely distracted by him climbing over her and easing her down to lie back while he kissed at her dewy skin. There wasn’t exactly much to see in there anyway, Peter’s tastes ran expensive but understated, and he didn’t keep any personal items out on display.

The werewolf held himself above her, trailing his hand down her willowy figure from her throat down to the apex of her thighs. He started lightly gliding his fingertips along her entrance, logging away every reaction she gave as he dipped into her body and drew her slickness up to swirl his digits rapidly around her clit. She was trembling beneath him and he allowed her to tug his face down to hers when she gripped the sides of his head, kissing her hard and deep letting a bit of his own pent up desire out. 

Winter moaned into his mouth and she hooked one leg over his hip, pulling her lower half up to grind her center against his erection while his hand continued to toy with her clit. Peter picked up her less than subtle cue, smiling when they broke apart to gasp for air and reaching down to guide himself back into her.

Winter stammered his name and let her head fall back against his pillows as he started moving inside her, her cheeks staining a deeper shade of red as her pleasure built back up again. Peter knew he wasn’t going to last this time, determined to push her over the edge again before losing it himself. He quickened his thrusts and a broken groan escaped him as Winter clamped around him and bowed up off the mattress in response, angling so he hit her just where she wanted he trapped her gaze with his as he drove them both up to the brink. 

“Come for me, kitten.” He panted, watching with feral satisfaction as she unraveled almost on his command. She shuddered and cried out, but rather than easing off he only drove into her faster, slipping his hand back down to her clit and pushing her into another orgasm on top of the first that had her screaming his name just like he’d wanted her to do.

Peter grunted harshly and kept her going as long as he could, finally slipping from her at the last second and coming against her flat belly with an audible sigh. Winter was still trembling and bucking up into his hand as he finished, and he enjoyed watching her ride the last wave of her pleasure in the wake of his own.

The brunette whimpered and bucked up into his touch, feeling his warm seed along her belly but hardly reacting to it as she rode out her own pleasure. She panted, coming down slowly from her high, completely spent with her hands trailing his sides. Her eyes fluttered opened once more, meeting his gaze and catching the steel blue color fading from his irises just like hers. His hand withdrew and her’s brushed over his cheek, cupping the side of his face and looking at him intently. She knew not to ask about other’s eyes, understanding the meaning but also figuring most didn’t want to discuss something along the lines of killing an innocent.

She tightened her legs around his waist and arched her upper body towards him, her cheek brushing his. She hummed contentedly, satisfied for the moment as she nuzzled him further until he lightly kissed her and rolled off her frame. Winter half followed him, tracking him with her eyes as he reached for tissue. She curiously watched him swipe the thin material over her belly and clean his come from her frame and she smiled.

He tossed the tissue away and flopped down after cleaning himself up. The feline side of her wanted nothing more than to cuddle up across him or in his side but the more human and far more farel side of her wanted to make a run for it and not give him the chance to catch her vulnerable. He asked her if she was tired now and she stretched across the mattress, shaking her head and making him laugh.

She moved across the bed to him, tugging at his arm and catching him off guard as she crawled into the space between his arm and his side, curling up without giving him chance for an out. “I’m sorry about your family.” Winter whispered, “Mine was broken before I was bitten. I thought having a clan would fill that hole.” She said even though he hadn’t asked her; she traced the shadows on his muscled chest and torso, following up to his shoulders and neck.

Her eyes darted around the room once more, catching sight of what little he had out as she sat up, settling between his legs and perching her hands on his thick thighs, her back to him as again she inspected his space. The leopard extended her hand, grasping the single book on his nightstand and opening it to the page he had marked. “Have you really read all these?” She asked, feeling him shift and move to sit up behind her, looking over her shoulder at the text she grasped.

Winter hummed at his kiss to her neck, shivering when he brushed her hair back over her shoulder and off her back. He answered that he had and she nodded, putting it beside them and turning around to face him eagerly. “Why bring me here? Why follow me when you could have told your pack about me and let me be?” She questioned, watching his lips move in the darkened room as he explained his reasoning.

They spoke for a while more with her in his space until she felt sleepy finally, climbing down beside him and not taking note of his protest as she curled into his frame once more to rest. He didn’t seem the cuddling type but unfortunately for him she was, always had been even before she changed and right now he was the closest thing she had.

Peter reached up to cup Winter’s cheek, leaning in closer to her to speak in a low tone, “Do you wish I had left you alone out there?” He countered with his own question, smiling warmly when she blushed and shook her head slightly. He kissed her lips softly before continuing, “Well I don’t want you getting the impression that I’m some sort of White Knight looking for damsels to rescue. Once I realized what you were, I approached you mainly to find out if you presented any sort of threat to my pack or our home. But when I started to see more of who you were, I knew I wanted to help you, if I could.” He explained, skillfully using enough of the truth to keep his heart rate steady though from the glassy look in her eyes he doubted if she was paying much attention to whether he was being honest or not.

“I know all I’ve been able to give you so far is shelter from the storm tonight, but… I think I could offer a lot more if you’re willing to take a… Leap of faith.” Peter continued, starting to run his fingers through her soft hair again because he knew touching her that way would soothe her, keep her complacent and more receptive to what he had to say. “I’m sure you’re still more inclined to try and handle things on your own when it’s kept you alive so far. I won’t blame you if you put me and this place behind you in the morning. But your pack is never going to stop hunting you, and if you could take care of them yourself you wouldn’t have needed to run in the first place. You have a chance here to make a stand, people who will help you if you give them a chance. Maybe it’s finally time to stop running.” Peter mused, again not asking her directly to stay or for anything else, simply presenting her with just enough information to make her think she was making a choice when really she had no option but the one he wished her to take. 

Winter would agree to stay, maybe not with him but at least in the area, meet the others and no matter what Derek or Scott thought of his motives there was no way those two boy scouts would leave her out in cold. He just had to make sure he had her firmly under his influence before she met them, in case they decided to bring up their obnoxious opinions of him that cast him in a less than flattering light when they simply couldn’t grasp the scope of what he was trying to accomplish.

The leopard didn’t answer him directly about what she would do, but he could see in her blue-green eyes that she was thinking hard about what he had said. He moved his hands from her hair to lightly run over her bare back and sides, telling her a few more things about his pack and how they had banded together to help those in need and overcome adversity in the past, how they were fighting to keep each other safe even now but conveniently leaving out the fact that he had been the cause of the others needing to protect each other more than once. After all that was only due to the choices they made, if they had simply gone along with what he knew was best he never would have become a threat to them in the first place.

Winter started to get sleepy just as the rain started outside, pattering against his window and the white noise further lulled her and Peter knew she was fading fast. The werewolf reclined back onto his bed, pulling the comforter and sheets down so she could climb under them as well but she seemed more invested in curling up against him than getting under the covers. Peter pulled back awkwardly from her embrace but she simply followed him forward, tangling her leg between his and casting her narrow arm over his chest to keep him from trying to escape. He sighed and relented to her, tugging the blankets up over their entwined bodies and relaxing as much as he could despite the way she was glommed onto him. He reminded himself that this was a good sign, that he needed to foster this inclination in her to be close to him.

“Good night, Winter.” Peter murmured into the dark and she made a sleepy sound in response that managed to bring a small smile to his lips. He wrapped his arm around her and turned his head down to lightly kiss her hair, absently running his fingertips over her forearm draped over his chest until he heard her heartbeat slow and her breathing even out in slumber. The werewolf remained awake for many hours later, listening to the storm and continuing to spin possibilities in his mind, making mental notes and lists for what he would need to do now to be prepared for later. When Peter finally did drift off, he slept soundly and far later than he usually did, his body likely able to relax more deeply being satiated after so long.


	4. Chapter 4

Peter woke up with the sun in his eyes and blinked groggily, noting with a crooked grin that his companion was still fast asleep though she had rolled off of him in the night and lay sprawled half out of the sheets beside him. He studied her for a few moments, reaching out to trace the sunlight on her tanned skin and leaning forward over her to kiss at her pulse point just beneath her ear. Winter hummed at his touch as she slowly came awake, turning into his touch automatically but jumping a bit when her eyes opened and she seemed to forget for an instant that she wasn’t sleeping in a rocky den in the woods on her own.

“Shh, you’re safe. Good morning beautiful.” Peter soothed, kissing along her jaw to lightly graze her lips and she responded immediately to his touch, kissing him back and wrapping her arms around his corded neck. Peter deepened the contact and slid his hand down to grip her side, pulling her closer and grinning against her lips at the way she purred at his touch. 

Winter jumped slightly, frightened as she remembered she wasn't alone in here nor was she in her usual resting place, the den in the woods. Peter's gentle voice soothed her and his kisses roused her further. She responded in kind, looping her arms around his neck and lazily keeping pace with him.

He smirked as she purred into his touch and tasting him on her lips. She curved her frame into his, mewling as his hands wandered her bare frame and his mouth left hers to kiss along her chest, traveling further south and ducking beneath the covers. "Peter?" She muttered questioningly, looking beneath the blanket as he pushed her legs apart and flicked his tongue out along her center.

The brunette cried out suddenly, pushing the blanket back enough to see his face and watch what he was doing to her. She scratched over his scalp with her nails, writhing at his attentions as he lapped at her core, drawing his fingers up to stroke her like he had last night while his mouth worked on her button.

She had never been given such attention or any attention along the lines of this, tugging his long dark blonde hair and watching his eyes slowly turn blue, guessing hers did the same. She grasped his hair and arched up into him erratically, her pleasure building rapidly while he touched and tasted her. "Peter." She whimpered, urging him to let her fall over and he did just so, making her come around his digits and against his face.

Peter's head lifted to meet her eyes, chin glistening with her pleasure and he smiled, growling softly as he kissed up her body again. "What did you do that for?" She huffed, never having experienced anything along the lines though she knew it was an option. She never had a partner want to work her body like that.

Their lips met and she simply moaned again, pressing her chest up against his for more. She could feel his own body responding to their closeness and she reached between them, gripping his length and stroking him slowly from base to tip. "Please." She whispered, craving him once more.

Peter slid his way back up her body, growling low in his chest as he savored the taste of her pleasure and feeling his own need spike with her heady scent filling his nose and her rapid heartbeat thrumming in his ears knowing he was the cause of all of it. He was trailing a line of kisses between her pert breasts when she asked him why he had pleasured her in such a way and he raised his head up to smile softly at her.

“Why else? You’re gorgeous, and I knew you’d taste as divine as you smell… I did it because I wanted to, and at the risk of sounding arrogant, I did it because I knew you’d like it.” Peter responded with a playful wink, chuckling a bit at her blush before sealing his lips to hers. The brunette responded immediately, pressing as much of their skin together as possible and matching the passion of his kisses with more confidence than she had previously. Her hand slipped down to wrap around his length and Peter groaned roughly when she pleaded for him to take her, getting off on her asking for what he could give her.

The werewolf kissed her lips lightly and reached down to lift her hand from his arousal, pressing her wrist into the mattress beside her head and starting to slowly grind his hardness against her slick center. She was still wet and sensitive from her earlier pleasure so he slid easily along her flesh, making both of them pant in anticipation. Winter’s free hand scratched down his back to grip his toned ass, pulling him tighter to her and Peter smirked as he continued to wind them both up, enjoying how much she wanted him a moment more. He craned his head down to whisper in her ear, “Turn over kitten.” Feeling her shudder in response to his gentle command and he lifted off of her just enough to allow her space to do so.

Peter got re-settled between her legs with his chest against her back, biting and kissing at her neck making her purr and moan. He reached down to tug her hips up off the bed, giving his hand space to swirl and flick over her clit and Winter moaned loudly, rising up to brace on her forearms and knees so he had easier access to her. He used his free hand to guide himself inside her, grunting roughly at how good it felt to take her from this angle. He nudged her knees a bit further apart and gripped her hip, sitting up fully so he could watch as he buried himself inside her over and over.

Winter cursed as he stretched and filled her, bucking back against his thrusts and craning her head back around as much as she could to look at him. He kept up his pace with his fingers on her clit, his hand getting soaked from her pleasure as he drove into her and it was all he could do not to lose it when she begged for him to take her harder. He moved both hands to grip her hips, yanking her back into his thrusts taking her as deeply as possible and Winter started crying out in pleasure on every exhalation, her walls fluttering and spasming around his throbbing length as she came.

“Yes come for me again gorgeous, it feels so fucking good- Ah fuck!” Peter growled, pounding into her faster and Winter’s voice broke as she unraveled again on the heels of her last release, her head falling onto the pillow as her arms failed at supporting her. She whined his name brokenly as she came around him again, her eyes screwing shut and her face contorting with pleasure as he drew her orgasm out. Peter thrust deeply once more inside her then quickly pulled back, using one hand to finish himself off coming against her thigh and the twisted sheets beneath her.

Winter whimpered under him as he drew out her orgasm until she was spent and shaking. She curled her fingers into the sheets under her hand, trying not to claw through the fabric as he pulled out and finished against her thigh.

She sighed, slowly opening her eyes to see his face just as his pleasure ebbed and he rolled onto his back beside her. "You're really good at that." She panted, nuzzling the pillow under her head and keeping her distance for now. Peter chuckled at her compliment, pushing up onto his elbows and unashamed of admitting he had practice.

The Were simply accepted that with a nod, "I never enjoyed it before." She whispered as if others might hear her secret though it was only them. "I thought I might be bad at it." She said, "Can you be bad at it?" She asked, "Am I bad at it? I mean you craved me more than once..." She mumbled, rolling close to him and unknowingly nudging his hand when he extended it.

He sighed heavily and she was uncertain if perhaps her questioning bothered him or he simply was thinking of an answer. Peter assured her she performed to a satisfactory level and she smiled, purring softly at his touch along her cheek and encouraging his hand with another nudge to brush through her hair.

She stayed on her back, feeling his hand on her back for a moment and he lightly swatted her rear telling her to go clean herself up. "Peter I'm hungry." She informed him, a large part of her itching to go hunting outdoors again. He asked her what she wanted, "Do you have deer?" She questioned, seeing his expression change but she didn't understand it quite so much. He told her it wasnt something he kept. "I'll get us one."

Winter shifted to sit up on her knees, "I'll be right back. I'm good at picking them out." She hummed, leaning into him and tracing his chest with her fingers until he told her she shouldn't go out, instructing her in part to go shower. "Why?" She stared at him as he mentioned the mess he made of her. "I don't mind it." She stated, drawing a finger over the back of her thigh and catching some of his seed, sucking off her finger without another thought.

"Please I want deer. I don't want a sandwich again." She pleaded, looking over his bare form and licking her lips absently. "Can I?"

 

It was difficult for Peter to concentrate and weigh his options about if he should allow Winter out of his sight so early after finding her when she did something like licking his seed off her fingertip. He suppressed a growl of want and shook his head at her request, inwardly pleased that she was already asking for his permission to act.

"How about this. Come shower with me first and then we'll go out together and see what we can find. And if we don't have any luck finding Bambi, you'll let me make you my famous blueberry pancakes, hmm?" He bargained, not wanting to simply let her wander off on her own but knowing he couldn't come on too strong and risk scaring her off. She was running from people who sought to either control her life or take it from her, and the last thing he needed was her realizing that she'd run into the arms of someone who was aiming to do the exact same thing.

Winter happily agreed to his proposal, bounding up off his bed and skipping into his master bathroom without preamble, making him chuckle with her lack of propriety. He climbed out of bed and peered out through the blinds of his window, contemplating the quaint neighborhood below him that was just getting started for the day completely oblivious of the monsters living among their picket fences and hybrid cars.


	5. Chapter 5

Winter's sweet voice calling his name grabbed his attention and he wandered unabashedly nude into his bathroom, grinning at the younger woman's perplexed expression as she struggled with which of the many dials and buttons in his double-wide shower to turn to get the water flowing. His shower was one of the many upgrades he'd had put into his simple townhouse, he'd found several ways of maintaining the place's common exterior without sacrificing the creature comforts he enjoyed. Maybe he didn't have his 117 million in reserve at the moment, but that didn't mean he had to live like a peasant.

Peter smiled and showed her which buttons and knobs controlled the various shower heads that were set at multiple levels in the wall in addition to the main head set in the ceiling. Winter had a moment or two of pure amusement turning various sprays on and off, till Peter distracted her by nibbling and kissing at her neck from behind, encouraging her with a gentle prod to finally step into the streams of running water with him right behind her.

Peter gently turned the brunette to face him, sealing his mouth to hers and running his hands over her bare skin following the path of the water flowing down her body. Winter mewled into his mouth and grabbed onto his shoulders, eagerly tugging him forward against her till her back hit the shower wall and she giggled as they broke apart. The werewolf grinned down at her, cupping her face and admiring the bright jewel tone of her eyes surrounded by her long wet eyelashes. She was breathing fast and her hands were toying with his light chest hair, and as much as he wanted to dive right into taking her he found that something was making him pause.

"Winter." He murmured her name just over the sound of the running water, his own heart rate rising in anticipation but he waited for her to ask him in a breathless whisper what he wanted, questioning his hesitation. "It's nothing, I just-" He uttered softly, running his thumbs gently over her cheeks, "I want you to know I feel very lucky that our paths crossed." He told her with a gentle grin that widened when Winter blinked in surprise and smiled brightly at his words. He was a little surprised himself, usually wasn't one for words of sentiment but if a little sweetness went a long way with his prize then maybe he'd have adopt the habit.

Winter surged up against him under the rushing water, wrapping her limbs around him and kissing him deeply. Peter quickly adjusted his stance to remain steady, holding her easily and growling against her lips as he propped her back against the shower wall. When they broke apart both their eyes were aglow with blue light and Peter was more than pleased by her response to his affection. He focused on pushing his worry to the back of his mind that he'd offered said affection before it even occurred to him that it would further manipulate her into wanting him. Maybe the game had truly become second nature to him after all.

Winter smiled at Peter's kind words, they had only just met and yet she felt truly safe with him after a night together. He had a soothing way about him unlike most she had encountered and without signs of affection from others she craved it more than she knew, eating up every little bit that this man gave her.

She surged forward, groaning as he pushed her back agait the wall and they kissed ravenously. She still would prefer being outdoors and hunting like she had come to know but Peter helped with filling a void she hadn't realized existed until he came close to her.

The Were wrapped herself around his larger frame, leaping up at his prompting and he caught her light weight, lifting her in his strong arms and she couldn't help but giggle as their lips met once more. "Are we cleaning each other because we're very close?" She teased, squeaking as he bounced her in his hold to grasp her more comfortably.

Peter laughed, claiming cleaning would come later because now he wanted to make even more of a mess of her. "Dirty." She muttered simply, running her hands up his chest to hook behind his neck. "You can have me Peter. However you want and when you want." She hummed, feeling his body responding to their closeness. 

Winter gasped as his hand drew between them, caressing her center and informing her that he already knew. She moaned, rocking into his fingers until they pushed into her heat and she moaned, pressing her body against his. She grasped him tighter, riding his fingers in earnest. "So good baby." She sighed, feeling his thumb run circles over her clit.

Her body trembled as he slowly built up her pleasure, making her whimper and mewl as she closed her eyes and rested her forehead to his, letting him do as he pleased her body. She kissed at his neck and nibbled his ear, panting harshly when he worked her faster until her pleasure ripped through her suddenly and she cried his name, coming around his fingers.

Peter grinned with satisfaction as Winter shattered against him, he hadn't ever had any trouble pleasing women in the past but he had to admit it was extremely pleasing seeing just how easily he could make this one come undone. He slipped his fingers from her core and held them up to the leopard's mouth, gently prodding her lower lip encouraging her to suck her nectar from his digits. He growled low in his chest as he enjoyed the show, imagining her pretty mouth elsewhere and recalling the way she'd so casually tasted his seed earlier.

Winter pulled off his fingers and asked him breathlessly to put her down, seeming to know already what was on his mind when she started kissing and licking water droplets off his skin as she made her way down his body. Peter watched her raptly as she knelt down before him, the lower faucet spraying over her front and he licked his lips as he watched the rivulets of water running over her pert breasts.

Winter kissed and nipped at his hipbones, gliding her nails over his abdomen, hips and thighs as she kissed at his skin around his arousal, ghosting her warm breath over his erection every so often but not taking him yet. Finally she languidly licked a broad stripe up his length from base to tip, making him shudder and growl when she pressed her fingernails into the hard muscle of his thighs as she continued to lick him like a popsicle.

"Fuck... You're a little minx aren't you?" Peter panted, his hand braced on the shower wall balling into a fist as she teased him with her tongue. It was obvious from how she behaved when she received pleasure versus giving it that her past partners had given her needs zero priority, and she must've been young enough when she was with them to be convinced that was just how it should be. He didn't like thinking about that but then again because of that even the smallest consideration from him would mean worlds to her and that worked in his favor.

Finally she swallowed him down, deep throating him and his steel blue gaze went nearly black as he watched her bobbing up and down his throbbing length, her full lips making a tight seal around him. Peter tangled his free hand into Winter's wet tresses, gently taking the pace from her and cursing harshly as she purred around his length. 

He thrust into her till he knew he was about to break, tensing all his muscles to keep from exploding till he was free of her but his control eroded when Winter gripped his hips tightly to keep him from pulling from her and he came with a ragged sigh against the back of her throat, his vision blurring slightly at the edges from the intensity of his climax.

His grip on her hair relaxed and she slid off his length, smiling up at him till he gently ran the back of his knuckles over her cheek and prompted her to stand again. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her languidly, turning their bodies so that the pulsing shower jets would hit her back and she purred into the contact.

The pair started to clean off but Peter couldn't resist the temptation of taking her from behind again before they finished, pressing her front to the shower door and making her scream his name over the hiss of the running water. When they stepped out of the shower Winter's knees were a little wobbly so Peter scooped her up making her squeak and giggle as he carried her back to his bed and set her on the edge of it.

"I'll get you something to put on, it doesn't matter that it won't fit right? Since you've got to take anything off to hunt? We'll do your laundry when we get back." He said with a crooked grin, going to his closet and pulling out another pair of drawstring pants and a white shirt for then grabbing a pair of dark jeans for himself.

Winter perched herself on the foot of his bed, sitting on her knees and putting her hands on her thighs, looking over at her rescuer with far more affection and want in her gaze than when he first gathered her and brought her here last night. She smiled, “Well I prefer shifting when I hunt, yes.” She answered, taking the clothes from him when he brought them back and reaching up to grasp his hand before he could step away. She lifted up onto her knees more fully and tugged him to her so she could press against his frame, putting her borrowed clothes aside and humming as she felt his warm skin against hers for at least the dozenth time that day alone.

He chuckled lightly and asked her what she was doing, clearly noting what he had begun between the two of them. She had been so deprived and now here was a man that fell into her grasp and treat her better than anyone ever had and she was instantly addicted to everything he could do to her. Her body was eager once more, purring for his benefit and trying to encourage one last round, “It’ll be easy. We’re both undressed.” She reminded him, glancing between them in hopes he might be responding to her as well but even as she kissed his neck and nibbled his ear, despite his groan he nudged her back and urged her to stop.

The leopard gazed up at him, frowning when he mentioned they should get moving so they could get back, mentioning how for the first time she might be the one to wear him out rather than the other way around. “I can’t help it. I like sex with you and you’re handsome.” She stated, getting up when he stepped back and tugging on the clothes he gave her. She brushed past him to get to the bathroom, brushing her hair out again and running her fingers through her long damp expresso waves. She curiously looked around his space and through his cabinets though he hardly had anything in there. She supposed since their bodies healed there really wasn’t a need for first aid things so he had little more than toothpaste and toilet paper under the sink.

Her hand traced the rim of the sink, eyes darting to the corner of the counter where what looked like a toothbrush sat. Her head cocked as she reached and picked it up, examining it in curiosity. Her finger brushed the button on the side hard enough that the electric device turned on and wriggled suddenly in her hand. She jumped back in the same moment that she dropped it a few feet from her and it clattered as she backed against the opposite wall. Peter wandered in at the sound, his blue eyes darting to the mess of batteries and broken plastic on his tiled floor. “It moved.” She insisted.

He sighed, telling her it was supposed to, “Why? What is it?” She asked, circling around him and the broken bits as he bent to clean them up from the ground, explaining to her what an electric toothbrush did. “That sounds lazy. I have to move mine.” She informed him as if he didn’t have any idea what a real toothbrush was. The brunette stood against his back, watching him wash his face and wondering why he did so when they had just showered. He brushed back his hair just right and she waited on the counter, legs swinging but remaining as close to him as she could until he finished getting ready.

Peter tugged her off the counter and she let him, following out the door and running off in front of him. He called her name but she giggled, not waiting for him to lock the door as she took off barefooted down the block and back towards the woods, wandering the yard of his little community. He called out that they needed a way to bring back their meal but she paid him no mind as she looked over her surroundings more fully this time. She caught sight of a park, heading that way distractedly when he grabbed her hand and laced their fingers, pulling her in the opposite direction. “Like a car? Why do we have to bring it back?” She asked, humming to herself as he tugged her with him the other way.

She trotted forward, reaching out and poking his side to get his attention, “Peter?” She whispered, “Can I go to the park after? Before it storms again? Maybe we can meet your friends there. Dogs like parks.” She said, nodding encouragingly and giving an innocent smile at the way he looked at her when she called them dogs. “In my defense,” She started, using his words he said before, “You call me, ‘Kitten’.”

 

Peter rolled his eyes at her calling him and his fellow werewolves dogs, shaking his head slightly when she defended her comment by bringing up his little pet name for her. He shrugged and continued to lead her back towards his vehicle parked in the drive of his townhouse. 

"That is true, but I would call you that regardless, considering the way I can make you purr." He responded with a playful smirk, tugging her in close to his body and kissing her deeply. Winter responded eagerly to his touch, pouting a bit when he pulled away and walked her around his car to open the door for her. She climbed in and he drove her to the edge of the preserve, walking fairly far into the woods with her before enjoying watching her remove her borrowed clothing and handing it to him so she could shift fully.


	6. Chapter 6

Peter warned her not to wander too far, stuffing the spare clothes into the small bag he'd brought and slinging it over his shoulder. Of course he had no intention of dragging a bloody deer carcass home in the back of his car, but he was also going to insure that she had no luck on the hunt so he wasn't concerned. 

He shifted partially to be better able to keep up with her, though in her fully feline form there was little chance he'd be able to keep up with her over this terrain for any length of time. Still he knew as long as he stayed close enough to her even in his partially shifted form, any mundane woodland creature would flee from the unconcealed aura of his wolfish nature if he didn’t chose to control them with it instead.

After an hour or so of no luck, Peter leaned against the pile of rocks he’d just climbed over and grinned to himself. “I can hear your stomach growling from here, you know. Why don’t we head back and I’ll make you something, hmm? Maybe better luck next time.” He called out to his companion, smiling at her kindly when she reappeared over a rise in the rocks. If she had been on her own she would’ve had no choice but to keep hunting till she made a kill or go hungry, but he hoped that her little taste of domestic comforts would make her more inclined to abandon the hunt for some good old instant gratification. 

Winter climbed fluidly over the uneven terrain towards him and he couldn’t help but marvel at how lovely her feline form was, thus far she had only used her abilities for basic survival but she had the potential for so much more. Potential for power that she would happily employ for him at the rate things were developing between them.

Peter crouched down when the snowy-pelted feline came to stand just before him, looking into her bottomless aqua gaze and he sighed. “You are so gorgeous.” He commented again, appreciating her in this form nearly as much as when she was human considering what it meant to him and furthering his own ends. 

Winter sat back on her haunches and began to transform back into her human shape, so Peter straightened up and got her clothing out for her, holding it out to her when she was fully shifted. Winter started tugging her clothes on, commenting with a little note of disappointment in her voice that she felt bad she couldn’t catch anything for them, and he was quick to interrupt her apology. “Think nothing of it. Like I said, better luck next time.” He soothed, offering her his hand which she took with a smile and they walked through the woods back to his car. 

The Were sighed despite her companions insistence that he was completely okay with cooking for them. She always had the thought that fresher was better and considering she couldn’t cook much nor did she like to, she really didn’t care for the idea of him doing so either. She huffed as she sat in the front seat of his car, rolling her eyes when he told her to put her seat belt on for her safety and his own peace of mind. “Like it matters considering what we are.” She stated, doing as she was told anyways just as he pulled out and down the road.

They parked again and she let him lead her back to his place, wandering inside barefoot and stopping when he requested she go rinse her feet off while he get their food prepared. She nodded, going down the hall and turning the water on in the tub, soaking her feet and washing them off like he asked of her until she could smell something sweet in the air. If she had been in her cat like form her nose would have been twitching and her ears perked, intrigued by the promise of food even if she didn’t know what it was.

She turned off the water and went back out to the kitchen, standing in the doorway watching him move and cook for her. He put another stack of something together, pancakes she assumed since that was what he said he would make and her stomach rumbled loud enough to catch his attention. Peter didn’t turn, picking up the plate and extending his arm back telling her she could begin without him since she clearly needed it more than him. She bit her lips before padding over and snatching it from him as if he might take it back before she could get a hold of it. He grabbed her wrist before she could walk away from him, making her arch a brow as he waited for her to do something.

“What?” She prompted, blinking at him and he made a gesture with his opposite hand, urging her to say something to him. Winter looked around, confused and almost waiting for someone to pop out and explain what she was meant to do. He laughed and muttered ‘you’re welcome’ to her and she arched her brow, “Oh. Right, thanks.” She mumbled, looking down at his hand still wrapped around her wrist, his touch was light and kind compared to the others but she still waited until his fingers unraveled from her appendage. “I’m sorry.” She said, going to him and kissing his chin, “Thank you.”

The young brunette tiptoed back to the table which according to Peter was where you were ‘meant’ to eat a meal so she did, picking up the pancakes with her hands and tearing into them with a pleasing hum as she ate. He laughed and brought syrup over not long after, pushing it her way. She swallowed and looked up at him, “What’s that?” She pointed to the bottle and he explained, putting some on her remaining food telling her to try it as it was meant for breakfast foods. She did so, scooping up the sticky pancake and tearing another bite off, her hand coated in the substance and she wasn’t really fond of the feeling at all.

Peter sighed again and she wondered absently if he was beginning to grow irritated with her not quite grasping human customs considering she hadn’t exactly been around humans in a while. But then he grinned and handed her a fork, stating she needed to remember her manners and she dropped the pancake from her mouth to pick it up with the utensil instead. “You’re happy we crossed paths but I annoy you don’t I?” She asked, taking another bite. “The things I do and that I ask you things.” She hung her head a bit and focused on working her fork into another bite. “Good sex but you wish I’d shut my mouth and magically understand everything you do but I don’t I haven’t been around others in a long while because I’m scared of what they might do to me. Not only that but I’m scared of… what I might do to them…” She admitted softly, finishing her food off rather quickly in the next moment.

Winter normally felt the need to run and there was a part of her that still had the urge to take off and pretend she hadn’t ever wandered in here with him like she had but an even bigger part of her craved any bit of comfort she could get. Even if it had to be from a stranger… even if it came in the form of sex with a stranger. She moved and climbed into the chair beside him, pushing it close and half climbing in his lap while he ate. She dropped her head down onto his shoulder, the feline part of her needing reassurance through touch. “When I meet your pack do you think they’ll understand? Will they help if my clan is after me?”

 

Peter wasn't looking at Winter directly as she spoke but he was paying very close attention to her words and tone, feeling a little surge of triumph that she seemed to be getting to a point where she might open up to him more and in turn grant him more trust. He knew there had to be a reason she'd isolated herself from other people for so long, and especially from her former pack and now they were getting somewhere with that.

He sat down with his own plate and started eating, letting her continue to talk and when she crept around to the seat right beside him he allowed her to nuzzle up against him even though it made him have to switch hands to continue eating. He smiled absently as her behavior reminded him of an insecure house cat trying to butter her owner up after bringing a dead bird into the house, letting her questions hang in the air a few moments more as he continued to eat.

Peter gently nudged her back enough to wrap his arm around her rather than her just leaning on the point of his shoulder, hugging her close to the side of his body then simply leaving his arm draped over the back of her chair against her frame. She responded instantly, nuzzling in as close as she could to him without actually climbing in his lap, waiting for him to say something to her and practically quivering with her pent up anticipation of what he thought not only about her but her fate as well.

Peter finished chewing his last bite of blueberry pancake, gingerly wiping his mouth with a napkin and tipping his head down to rest his cheek against the top of her head. Winter reached out and swiped her finger through the small puddle of syrup left on his plate, sucking it off her skin and he smiled slightly at her behavior, glad that she liked the sweet item he'd given her.

"You're not annoying." He finally uttered, feeling her physically relax against him and it made him grin again that his approval already meant a great deal to her. "You're lovely. You look at things I take for granted with new eyes, and I appreciate that perspective. It's very refreshing to be around." He told her sweetly, gently running his fingers up and down the back of her arm as he spoke.

"If you want to stop running and make a real life for yourself here, you'll have to learn about these types of things like using silverware and sleeping indoors. But you can learn them at your own pace, no one including me is expecting you to figure everything out at once. I promise I want to do everything I can to help you, all right?" He turned his head to kiss her hair, pulling back enough so she could look up and see his face, glad to see a small hopeful smile gracing her lips.

"As for my pack, I know they'll want to help you as well. Like I said we're a mixed bag, and they're not the sort to leave anyone who needs aid out in the cold. But if they're going to offer you protection, even put their lives at risk to help you, you can't be a stranger to them. They'll need to know more about you. I think if you told me your story, I could help you plead your case to them. Convince them that you're worth fighting for, because you are." Peter assured her, edging her towards opening up to him further, giving him more information which he needed to piece his plans for her together.

Winter stared up at Peter, scooting away a bit when he started encouraging her to tell her story to him. She wasn’t fond of the idea, “Why can’t they trust that I’ve moved on from whatever my past was?” She asked in a more stern voice, watching his face as he responded that while they might trust that she has moved on, they would be far more accepting and helpful if they knew of her background and knew why she was running exactly.

Her face was a little more angered by now, shifting in her seat and lacing her fingers in her lap, twiddling her thumbs as she considered where she should begin. “I was fourteen when I was bitten and turned. I don’t remember everything I just remember men telling me I was chosen for this, that they wanted my family to survive as well to benefit their clan. I don’t know what they thought about us because we were never anything special and they had no way of knowing what we might change to.” She muttered, “I didn’t see them again after they took me away, said because of my young age I needed to be watched more carefully… week or so later word traveled and I found out my parents didn’t survive the change. But I think they killed them. I think… they wanted young girls because there used to be lots of us.”

The Were glanced to his face, seeing his wonder in what she meant by ‘used to’. “If you disobeyed more than a few times they’d remove you. Kill you I assume because when girls were taken Lily and I never saw them again.” She shrugged, “We were trained, taught to hunt and fight and… please our caretakers…” She mumbled the last part, her eyes watering a little when Peter asked her to continue. “It didn’t matter that we were underage, that we might not want to, these men provided for us… women too…” She whispered shamefully, wiping her eyes, “We were supposed to thank them for wanting us, for feeding us. We did anything they wanted for I don’t know how long.”

“When my powers got stronger and they told me I was different, that I couldn’t be trusted they moved me. I knew I was different because I could shift completely but I always thought it was… wrong somehow? Eventually I ran, I searched for Lily on the other side of our camp and I took her before they noticed.” Winter said, picking a callous on her palm and shaking her head when after a long silence Peter requested to hear the end. He shifted close to her and wrapped his arm around her, making her flinch and jolt at the sudden contact as her memories took over. “Don’t.” She insisted, nearly falling out of her chair, tears soaking her cheeks. “I don’t want to.” She repeated softly over and over again as she rolled off her chair and crawled backwards, hugging her arms around herself.

Her claws flicked out, prepped for defense without even realizing and she shook her head at him still as he raised his hands to show he meant no harm, like he had done when he found her. Winter’s heart raced and she swallowed hard, trying to calm herself internally as she spat out the next words. “They didn’t kill her but I did. I tore her to pieces.” She told him, her voice rumbling with anger at herself and warning towards him that she was a danger as if it might keep harm at bay. “It took days to rinse the blood from my hands and I knew they were right, they are right. I’m dangerous. I’ve killed and I didn’t bury her, didn’t use her for survival. I left her in the mud still bleeding out even as her heart stopped beating and I never let myself cross paths with another since then.”

“I didn’t mean to.” She whispered in regards to her friend.

“I know you didn’t mean to.” Peter said with absolute certainty, ever so slowly moving to crouch down before her on the floor where she’d retreated with her back up against the back side of the where the dining room ended and the living room began. He caught her gaze and kept his face kind his hands open and visible so that instinctive part of her wouldn’t be as inclined to spook and bolt. They were really getting somewhere now and he had a feeling he could use this sordid part of her past to his advantage. He crept a little closer and moved to settle on the smooth hardwood floor beside her, propping his back against the sofa as well and being careful not to touch her just yet.

“Being dangerous isn’t a bad thing, nor is it uncommon. Anyone with any sort of power whether it’s holding a gun or being behind the wheel of a car or having the ability to change into a leopard or a wolf, has the potential to be dangerous. It’s all about learning to respect and control the power we have. My pack and myself- We’ve all had to learn that, and for some the lesson was harsher than others.” Peter spoke in a sympathetic tone, resting his forearms on his bent knees and fidgeting with his fingernails idly as he talked, “What I’m saying is that we won’t refuse to help you or judge you for honest mistakes. We all have a past. Have things we wish we could do over or take back entirely.” He continued, turning his head to face her and letting his eyes flare their true shade of steel blue to emphasize his point.

Winter finally looked at him again, tears rolling freely down her cheeks, saying again that it had been a mistake and she never wanted to hurt her friend. She explained in a bit more detail how her and Lily had been separated and when her friend found her again she hadn’t known who it was before she already had her claws slashed across the other young woman’s throat. Peter reached up and hazarded cupping her tear-stained cheek, glad when she leaned into his touch rather than shrinking from it.

“It’s all right.” He murmured, gathering her against him when she began to cry harder, holding her close to his side and gently running his fingers through her hair. Winter argued weakly, asking how he could say that when she just admitted to murdering her friend. “Winter, my eyes are blue too. Trust me I understand better than you’d think.” He countered, kissing her hair and smiling sadly down at her when she lifted her head to meet his eyes. She asked in a tiny whisper what had turned his eyes blue and for once a dose of pure honest truth was actually going to serve him better than any story he might concoct to win her sympathy.

“I come from a big family, I had a brother and two sisters who were all taken by the fire. But before that, my family was already acquainted with tragedy. I was the youngest by several years so a lot of the time I felt ostracized, but I had another sister back then who was closest to me in age and when I was nine years old and just starting to come into my powers, she took me under her wing.” Peter began, finding it surprisingly difficult to talk about Victoria after so many years of letting the matter stay buried. “Victoria was given the task of teaching me control, surprisingly those born as wolves often struggle as much or more with learning to manage the shift.” He said quietly, thinking back to his sister’s lovely face, splattered with blood and frozen in death in an expression of pain and fear.

Winter was leaning into him, listening raptly her own sorrow forgotten for the moment as she waited for him to continue, “You remember I told you how my eldest sister Talia could fully shift like you? The trait passes through families so the first few full moons when it looked like we might start shifting soon, someone always watched over the process to find out if a new wolf had the gift. Victoria was with me, and like I said before, I can’t fully shift but I can get a lot closer to a true wolf than many of my family.” Peter’s jaw tightened and he took a long breath before he could keep going. 

“Tori… She wasn’t prepared to handle me. I couldn’t control the change, couldn’t contain the power and bloodlust I felt. I ripped my older sister apart. The person in my family I was closest to, the one who had always been kind to me when my older siblings had little more than a passing acknowledgement for me. I killed her, and I continued to maul her corpse long after she was dead until Talia and my father pulled me off of her.” Peter’s tone went flat and cold as the long dormant memory dredged up in his mind, almost forgetting that he had an audience as he got lost in the last true moment of remorse he’d ever felt. It had nearly destroyed him, changed how he let himself think about people for the rest of his life, seeing them only as pawns or stepping stones to his own ends, rather than beings he could actually risk caring for.

Winter forgot all about her own sorrow for the moment and focused entirely on Peter sympathizing with her now. Her expression changed into one of remorse for his own loss, wriggling closer to him as he finished speaking, seeming in a daze of his own as he recalled everything he did to his older sister. “But you didn’t mean to either Peter. You were young.” She assured in return, guiding his arm around her when she grabbed his wrist.

She swung her legs over his and settled herself in his lap, resting her cheek to his chest whether he wanted her close or not, she needed it again. “I knew control. I knew she was coming back after we split up, it wasn’t a full moon… I knew.” She whispered, “I’m worse than you Peter.” She insisted, feeling his hands running over her frame absently to soothe them both and she sighed lightly as she cuddled closer into him.

“I’m so sorry about your family… your sister especially but I know you’d never hurt anyone. No man that would risk himself to care for a lost leopard would do anything intentionally.” The brunette murmured, taking his free hand and kissing his knuckles. “I’m sure she knows too. She knew what she was in for when she took watch over you. It’s okay.” She continued to coo at him, kissing up his wrist and then turning into his bicep, lips trailing to his shoulder. “Now you’re my protector aren’t you? I just hope that your pack accepts me and my faults like they have done for you.”

She tugged his face down and shifted to straddle his lap, loosely wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him to her, kissing him slowly and sweetly. She flashed her blue eyes at him in return, “I won’t hurt you and I know you won’t hurt me. You’re nothing like the others.” She hummed, closing her eyes and nudging the tip of her nose to his. “We have each other to trust now, don’t we?”

"I definitely wouldn't say that you're worse than me. Far from it." Peter chuckled in response to her words, his body responding to her getting settled in his lap and kissing her in return. "But you're absolutely right that we've got each other now, and I will protect you with my life, I swear it." He told her softly but surely, his hands gliding down her sides to grip her hips and keep her tight against him. Winter smiled and lightly kissed his nose, nuzzling into him with her brow against his neck.

Winter purred as he slid his hands up and down her back to soothe her, though having her astride him like this was making it difficult for the werewolf to keep his focus on comfort rather than getting them out of their clothing as quickly as possible. He remained as calm as possible, not wanting to make her feel any kind of pressure so soon after admitting her past partners granted her no agency concerning how her body was used. It was important that she never associated him with her past tormentors in any way.

His patience was soon rewarded however, after another moment or two Winter pulled away from his chest and guided his hands to sweep up over the swell of her breasts, leaning into his touch and starting to grind down on his growing hardness with a coy smile. Peter grinned and followed her prompting, squeezing her soft flesh and sitting up to seal his mouth to hers in a ravenous kiss.

Winter moaned into his kiss and rocked against him faster, riling them both further and she lifted her arms eagerly when he tugged his shirt off her frame. "God you are so beautiful." Peter growled and he immediately bent to give attention to her full breasts, nipping and sucking at her sensitive peaks and feeling his own desire surge as he caught the scent of her getting wet for him. He wrapped his arms around her frame and suddenly shifted their bodies to press her bare back to the cool wood floor, making her shiver and mewl at the sudden temperature change.

"Do you want me to bring you upstairs kitten?" Peter asked in a ragged tone, his mouth continuing to graze over her sensitive chest and Winter shook her head, clawing at his own shirt to try and remove it, insisting that he take her immediately. Peter grinned with feral pleasure, loving to hear her begging for him and happy to comply with her request.

"As you wish beautiful." He breathed over the warm skin of her belly the lower he moved down her figure, tugging his shirt off But not bothering with anything else for the moment since his current goal was making sure she knew her pleasure was his top priority. Peter kissed his way down to the hem of the dark sweats she wore, tugging at them slow enough to make the leopard impatient just so he could hear her asking for more.

She pleaded with him, whining his name and Peter was fairly sure that he could get off just from listening to her beg, his jeans getting painfully restrictive but still he focused on getting her bottoms off and kissing his way up her thigh to her soaked center. He started lapping at her lightly at first, relishing her sounds and taste. Her hands tangled in his hair and he started devouring her in earnest, thrusting his tongue into her as deeply as possible before replacing it with two fingers to stroke her walls while he focused on her clit with his tongue.

Winter moaned at his attentions, arching up into his mouth and riding his fingers. Her eyes closed, focusing on the feeling he caused in her body, the way he focused on her and only her. "Ah... Peter!" She cried out, her fingers curling around his as her pleasure built rapidly. "I'm gonna come baby." She panted, barely getting the words out before she lost it and canted her hips to his mouth, shattering completely and riding out her high.

He didn't let up until she lost it three times in a row, barely recovering after each one until she pleaded for more. She cupped his face and pulled at him insistently, "Peter. Please I want you inside me." She begged. He chuckled and kissed up her body, until their lips met.

"Please. I want you to take me." She urged, arching into his frame and pushing at his jeans for more. "Want you so bad." The brunette pleaded further, trying to keep her eyes from watering again and kissing him eagerly. He sat up and undressed completely, settling over her and grinding against her languidly.

He pushed into her suddenly and she cried out, rocking up into him and encouraging him to move. "Fuck." Winter panted, grabbing his ass and curving around him, "More." She urged.

 

Peter growled low and harsh at Winter's pleas for more, driving into her hard and fast with his knees and forearms braced on the floor to keep him stable as he let himself go wilder than he had with her before. Maybe it was just her begging for him and feeding his ego, but a part of him also wanted to erase any and all traces from her mind of their earlier conversation and the dark memories she'd had to recall telling him about her past.

The werewolf tensed every muscle to keep from exploding as he felt Winter clamp and flutter around him in ecstasy, her nails digging into his ass where she held him fast against her and he grunted out her name as he struggled to hold off on his release as he carried her through hers. He slowed his pace letting her come down from her high, slipping from her body still throbbing and on the verge of losing it but he refused to succumb till he'd had his fill of her. Winter glanced down at his erection and back up at his face, panting and smiling as she struggled to sit up but he helped her the rest of the way up regardless.

Peter stood and pulled Winter up with him, supporting most of her weight when her legs wobbled and turning her to bend and brace her hands on the back of his couch. He aligned his body with hers, sweeping her sweat dampened hair off her back so he could bite down on her soft neck. Winter whimpered and ground her rear back against him, leaning heavily on the couch but still craning her head around as much as she could and pleading for him to take her again.

Peter grinned and kissed the spot he'd bitten to soothe it, reaching down to guide his tip to her soaked entrance and pushing into her abruptly making both of them moan brokenly and Winter nearly buckled as he started thrusting up into her rough and fast all over again. He looped his arm around her middle to hold her up, doing all the work of supporting her weight and driving them to the edge of their pleasure.

Winter cried out raggedly as he slammed into her, craning back into him as much as she could and reaching over her head to grip his corded neck, affording him a view of her full chest bouncing with his motions over her shoulder. Peter growled and sped up, using his free hand to tease her clit and that sent her tumbling over once more, her voice breaking and nothing but desperate little gasps fell from her lips as she unraveled around him. 

Peter was so wrapped up in what he was doing to her that he barely pulled out of her body in time to come between them, his seed spattering her back and his toned abs as he thrust against her firm rear to finish off. Winter shuddered and jolted against him as her orgasm subsided and Peter didn't entirely trust his own balance after coming like he had just then. 

The werewolf carefully sidestepped to bend over and grab a few tissues off the table by his couch, gingerly cleaning them both up before lazily letting himself roll onto the couch in a controlled fall, dragging Winter down on top of him and smiling at her breathless giggle. They lay sprawled and breathing heavy in a heap for several minutes until she broke the silence, thanking him for accepting her and expressing her hope that the rest of his pack were good people like him.

Peter smirked crookedly as he stared up at the ceiling, gently running his fingers over her middle and laughing internally at what Derek's or any other of his ragtag group's faces might look like if they'd heard that statement. "You don't have to thank me. It's like I said, we've all got a past and all we can do now is look to what the future will bring. Everything's going to work out just fine Winter, I promise." He assured her, smiling smugly to himself as the leopard shifted and snuggled more deeply into his side with her head tucked under his chin.

"When you say stuff will work out I believe it." Winter muttered to him, cuddling into his side further and kissing his chest as her arms draped around him. She hummed happily, soothing them both and feeling tired all over again the longer she stayed nestled against her lover. His touch and the sound of his heart were a comfort to her.


	7. Chapter 7

Winter had been with Peter for a couple weeks until she was constantly asking to see new faces. He made an excuse more than a dozen times as to why she hadn't gotten to meet his pack at all but he finally decided she would be safer if others knew of her and her pack that he believed was hunting her down whether she agreed or not. 

The closer they drew to... Derek's place? She thought that was his name, the more she clutched to Peter's fingers. He tugged away a bit and she was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't realized they had stopped. "Oh." She muttered, letting him go and looking up at the building. "Why does he live here?" She asked, suspicious of the old warehouse looking building.

Peter mentioned he wasn't even sure why either, getting out and opening her door for her. She climbed out, grasping at the side of his shirt and trying to get close to him again but he urged her to keep her distance, reminding her about his distaste towards PDA as he called it. She let go hesitantly, following him up to the front and jumping when the elevator started moving. He chuckled and lightly kissed her temple before it stopped, letting her go again and heading to a door.

The leopard stayed a pace behind him, going inside and it took a few moments but she soon spotted feet coming down the steps, not one set but four or five from what she counted the further they got. "I thought only Derek lived here." She whispered.

"I do. They're just visiting and I don't remember inviting anyone else." The tall dark haired man said, his voice alone making her heart flutter but she didn't know if it was nerves or the way he was staring at them both. "Prefer a heads up before you drop in, Peter." He said sternly.

Winter nodded, standing close to Peter again and letting their hands brush together. "Peter said you're all like us. Well like him... that you're werewolves." She muttered, hooking her pinky with Peter's though he didn't hold it back, she felt a certain stiffness to him when others were around.

The man she assumed to be Derek, stepped forward and nodded, asking what she meant when she said she wasn't like them. "Well I'm a leopard for one thing but I also can--" She began, looking to her companion when he mentioned they'd get to details later but for now he simply found them a friend... or something.

"I don't have anyone except Peter. He lured me out of the woods I guess... umm... I'm Winter by the way. I thought he'd explain so I didn't have to." She cleared her throat, self conscious with all eyes on her but she smiled anyways, lacing her fingers with Peter's despite what he'd told her.

 

A silent exchange passed between Peter and his nephew when Winter slipped her hand into his, the younger werewolf bristling and looking at him in disbelief while Peter simply nodded slightly with a slight smirk on his handsome face. 

"I'm glad you're all here, makes this more efficient even if we are short a few teenagers it seems." Peter commented, looking from Derek to Scott, Stiles, Liam and Kira who were standing in a line behind their surrogate pack leader since the alpha among them wasn't exactly full of knowledge and experience.

"I'm sure you've all been trying to make plans to fight the benefactor and all the assassins she's paying with my stolen money, and we're here to help with that." Peter began, smirking crookedly when Derek sternly told him to cut to the chase, asking again exactly who or what the woman beside him was.

"She's a wild card, a trump card even. Winter isn't on any of that odd little banshee's lists and she's very, very special. Go ahead and show them, it's all right." Peter smiled at Winter gently, nodding towards an open door where she could step out of view to disrobe to shift. All the younger people watched Winter move out of view but Derek kept his eyes trained on his uncle, his longer experience with the man keeping him more suspicious of the older werewolf than the stranger he'd brought into the loft.

When Winter reemerged however, all eyes were glued to her and Kira gasped in surprise at the sight of the sleek aqua-eyed snow leopard who padded back into the main space. Peter grinned at their suitably awed reactions, folding his arms over his chest and shrugging slightly as he began to explain.

"Winter and I met in the woods the other day, and she's been very eager to meet all of you. As you can see she'd be a very valuable asset to us, and all she needs in return is a little help of her own. What's a few more threatening individuals added to the mix in these dangerous times after all? She's here for sanctuary from her former pack, the ones who turned her are still after her, and they aren't nearly as... Progressive as we've become." Peter explained with a little smirk.

Winter felt strange, she had always kept her full leopard form from people, even rarely showed herself to those just as similar to her. She padded out in full shift, blinking up at everyone else and Stiles was the first to say anything. “Whoa. And you can control it?” He asked, looking down at the feline and bending as if contemplating if he should pet her. The were bowed her head in response, keeping her head hanging until Stiles brushed his hand back through her fur before straightening up.

She didn’t mind the contact at all, but as it would seem someone else did. “Peter I thought you were past this.” Derek had said, gripping the man’s arm and pushing him back from the others to talk to him in private though really there were few of them in the room who could even ignore what they might be saying. Peter wouldn’t follow him easily and Winter’s heart beat picked up, fearing that they might be upset or maybe fearful of her. She rumbled lowly, following after them and worrying for not only herself but Peter.

The leopard turned and ducked behind the door, changing quickly as she could, still pulling on her top fully when she walked out. “I know it’s strange I—Peter said that you both knew others like me and my clan they… I was a threat to them I think but I—It’s not my intention. You don’t have to hurt him I’ll go. He thought you’d help me.” She stammered, pulling back from one of the boy’s grasps and looking up at them, her eyes full of fear. The boy smiled at her reassuringly, his voice soothing and soft as he mentioned to give them space and she nodded.

“I thought the games were done but I should have known. First you manipulate your own family now you have to move on to luring in other packs members?” Derek snarled, pushing Peter back against the wall, “Why would we protect her? So we can watch you try and kill her? We should be pulling her away from you, that’s the real danger and I bet she has no idea.”

Winter stayed in place, folding her arms over her chest and feeling a little safer beside the young Asian girl who kindly introduced herself. “Who’s the benefactor? Wh-What assassins? I don’t understand. Peter didn’t tell me any of that, he didn’t say you guys were in trouble. I don’t want to cause more. That’s not what I meant, I’ll help I swear I will. I know how to fight, I’ve only done so once… on accident… I’m mostly good at hiding.” She rambled, tugging at the thinner of the two boys then looking over at Stiles and Liam with pleading eyes for them to vouch for her too.

“Wow Peter kept secrets from a stray? I am so surprised.” Stiles said under his breath, crossing his arms and shaking his head, “From anyone in general.” He laughed when he heard Winter asking why he would lie. “Guess it’s really not a lie if it doesn’t involve him anyways. Not directly.” He shrugged, leaning his shoulder against the wall behind them and watching Derek and Peter converse.

Peter remained cool and unaffected by the venom his nephew was spitting at him, glancing down at Derek's firm grip on his arm and back into his eyes waiting till the younger Hale did him the courtesy of releasing him. He had run over hundreds of scenarios for this encounter in his mind, preparing counter-arguments and anything he needed to say to ensure the end result was what he wanted.

"I'm the real danger, Derek? I'm not sure you've got a clear perspective on what presents the greatest threat anymore considering your current... Condition." Peter's calm almost serene tone only seemed to infuriate his nephew more, and that was all the better since he wanted to appear to be the reasonable one of the group to Winter so she'd remain inclined to take his word over an angry stranger's. Derek's hazel eyes were filled with self-righteous indignation but Peter didn't miss the flicker of unease when he brought up his nephew's inexplicably ever-dwindling powers.

"The simple fact is that with your engine running on fumes, out of all the supernaturals here I'm the only experienced player we have left in the game. Winter is my priority and she's under my protection, but after all... We're stronger together. She'll fight for us if we fight for her, and none of us can afford to be picky just now. I don't see the point of hurling unfounded accusations at me when all I'm trying to do now is help both her and the rest of you." Peter continued, smirking when Derek glared at him more sharply.

Scott looked from Derek and Peter to the stranger the elder Hale had brought with him, amazed by her ability to shift into a leopard but mostly wary of where her allegiance lay considering she'd been holding hands with Peter and talking about him like he was some kind of savior. He glanced at Stiles who wore a similar expression of concern and Scott relayed what Derek and Peter were saying to his human friend as the only one who couldn't clearly hear the semi-private conversation.

Stiles scoffed at what he told him, going off about how rich it was for Peter to say something about helping anyone and that prompted Winter to question him, stating that Peter had only been a help to her since she arrived in the area and all the teens exchanged a look of shock and skepticism amongst themselves.

"Winter... I don't know what Peter has told you, but you shouldn't trust him even if he has been helping you. He's not a good guy, and if he's being helpful or nice to you it's probably just because he's got a plan for a way to use you. I know we just met but you've got to believe us, Peter is bad news." Scott told her softly, looking to Stiles who readily agreed with what he said and while Kira and Liam had barely any exposure to the elder Hale they both took Scott's word for it and agreed as well.

"I don't trust you even if you aren't priority here. I don't care what you do unless it puts the pack in danger. I don't know all about her and neither do you. This isn't the kind of charity work we do." Derek said in a lower whisper, not missing the way the others looked at them. He knew that Scott was likely relaying information but he hoped he left out part of what he was saying. "You're taking her for your own benefit and I'm sure of that much."

Winter's eyes watered at what Scott said and it killed Stiles to have to side with his friend. "Peter's anything and everything but good and kind. Unless he wants something. I've gotta side with Scott here and say he's no good." The freckled boy said.

The leopard stared up at them both and shook her head, "No. No he wouldn't. He's protecting me. Why would he come for me and take me from the woods? Why would he... share his bed with me?"

"Oh god." Stiles sighed, "Okay umm-- Scott you're up buddy." He said, slapping his friend on the back.

"He promised. He said he wasn't using me. He wouldn't do that." Winter insisted, slapping at Stiles' hand when he reached out to her then Scott when he did the same. "Don't. No don't. Please." She begged, her eyes glowing as she felt the need to protect herself and her rescuer.

"Winter... it's winter right?" Kira soothed, stepping forward and looking at her watery eyes as the girl nodded. "I've never known Scott or Stiles to be liars but I've never heard anything good of Peter. I don't think he's on your side. It's said people like you are stronger and he knows that." She glanced to Scott for confirmation.

"I don't know any of you. I know him and I know you're lying. You have to be because that's ridiculous. He kept me safe for weeks now." Winter stated.

Peter's brows rose in an exaggerated fashion at his nephew's words, "Not our kind of charity work, hmm? That's a riot. Firstly her's is exactly the sort of tragic case that seems to gravitate to us when you or Alpha Jr. over there aren't actively seeking it out." The elder werewolf tossed his head indicating Scott across the room. 

"And secondly everything I ever do is for my own benefit, it's called survival and I'll thank you not to crucify me for simply wanting to live and thrive. But that doesn't mean I don't also consider the needs of others. Winter needed help, so I offered her shelter and a chance to be free of the threat of her former pack. You need help saving your own asses, so here I am sticking my neck out offering aid. Just because I don't do things yourway doesn't make my way wrong Derek." Peter snipped, again being careful to stay calm even though he was getting a little annoyed with his nephew's chronic problem of refusing to see the big picture.

"You and your underage-parade all think you're so far above me, so much more holy but ask yourself this Derek: can you really afford to turn away what I have to offer? She can help me find the Desert Wolf, and if there's anyone who might know what sort of weird south american voodoo Kate used on you it's her. Making Winter a part of our pack not only helps her, not only me, but all of you. How long do you think any of those children will last really without their grumpy foster father at full strength? I can't believe you'd let your personal opinion of me cloud your judgement so severely." Peter needled his nephew, glancing at Winter and not liking the look of worry on her face but he still felt fairly confident that she wouldn't be swayed away from him.

Scott and all his friends cringed at Winter's mention of her and Peter having an intimate relationship, but their distaste was overshadowed by their concern for the snow leopard. It was obvious to all of them who had history with Peter or knew of it that he was playing her just like he had many of their group in the past, but when Winter's exposure to all of them was so sharply slanted in Peter's favor it was going to take a lot to convince her.

Scott nodded at Kira when she made the attempt to kindly reason with the newcomer, confirming her words for both of them but it didn't seem to do any good. The new alpha's heart bled for her, he was the type to always give the benefit of the doubt but Peter had more than burned through any additional chances he might've given to earn his trust.

"I'm sure he has, but that's the whole problem Winter. Peter's been kind to you because he wants you to trust him over us. Why else would he wait weeks to tell his pack about you? He had to make sure you had a certain idea of him before he risked it, because he knew we'd try and convince you to stay away from him. He wants your power, Winter. That's what Peter always wants, trust me. He tried to use me the exact same way." Scott urged, hoping against hope that she'd find it in her heart to believe him. 

When Winter stayed quiet Stiles piped up again, questioning if she reallyknew Peter as well as she thought, firing questions at her concerning the elder Hale like asking if she knew he had a daughter their age he was trying to manipulate as well, or if he'd happened to mention that he'd murdered several people in cold blood. Scott could see and hear in her heartbeat how distressed Winter was getting, but he didn't want the woman to be left in the dark about who Peter Hale really was either.

“Let’s see how well you really know Peter shall we?” Stile began, clearing his throat to start the long list of things he guessed Winter wouldn’t have any clue about. “Did you know he ditched his daughter? Dumped her with another family?” He asked, “Did you even know he had a daughter? She’s our age and he’s been manipulating her just like he’s doing to you.” He said, watching the brunette shake her head and insist he wasn’t manipulating her in any fashion.

“Has he told you about his past?” He waited for Winter to answer and she shook her head again, claiming she knew a little about him but enough that she believed he was good. Stiles scoffed in her face, “We should ask the dozen or so people he’s murdered, a few just like you, what they have to say about that. Did you know he killed for power? That he used to be an alpha? That he’s taken innocent lives to try and become an alpha again or as close to one as he can manage?” He continued, “He’d kill us all and it’s why we hardly stay on Derek’s side of keeping the man around. He’s never proven to us to be worth anything. He’s put all of us in danger!” His voice raised without him realizing and Winter flinched but prepped herself to fight him if he tried anything.

She didn’t like how close the boy had gotten to her, standing in her space until Scott reached for him and took over despite her insistence that she didn’t want to hear more. “He wouldn’t do that. He wouldn't.” She repeated over and over again, pulling back from Scott’s hold as he tried to soothe her while telling her the truth she didn’t want to hear. “But I’m a danger. Everyone’s told me. He’s protecting me from my old clan I—Everything they did to me. He’s not like them.” She almost pleaded for them both to tell her they were lying themselves but as she looked up at Scott and he bowed his head, muttering how sorry he was she knew now.

“I know you can hear them.” Derek said to Peter, looking him dead in the eyes and seeing the slightest bit of worry flare up. “She knows about you and I know you can hear in her heart beat that she’s second guessing it all. She’s scared, confused…” He muttered, slamming the man back against the wall when he tried to step away from him. “We’re going to protect her like you asked but that will extend to protecting her from you.” He said, shaking his head when Peter claimed she wouldn’t trust them enough to stay away from her rescuer. “She has reason not to trust you now but she has no reason not to believe that we’re better than you. If you won’t open up to her than we’ll be sure to tell her everything.”

Derek turned and wandered away back towards the other’s, lightly grasping Winter’s shoulder and opening his other hand to show he meant no harm. “We won’t hurt you. But I can’t promise your safety at a distance. We’ll have to know a little more about where you came from. There are certain people in Beacon Hills you’d be better off not associating yourself with.” He began, knowing she understood who he meant.

“You won’t help me if I’m with him? But he’s different now. Even if he’s made mistakes. He’s told me he killed his sister… I—I killed my best friend and he understands. We’re the same. I need him.” The leopard whimpered, shrinking back from the crowd and giving a pleading look to Peter on the other side of the room.

“We can talk about it later.” Derek said, “Have you eaten?” He asked, offering to cook her up a quick fix meal, wanting to make her more comfortable rather than scare her off with all the talk about distressing things.

Peter watched his nephew carefully as he walked away and started trying to placate Winter, pleased at her resistance to him and the rest of them telling her Peter was no good. He knew things would've gone a lot smoother if he'd been able to introduce her to Derek alone like he planned without the puberty squad firing extra ammunition against him, but he was still fairly confident he had Winter wrapped around his clawed finger.

Peter wandered over to the group with a little smile adorning his face, nodding at Scott and Stiles in turn but ignoring his former beta's little progeny and the fox girl. Winter automatically stepped back beside him but he didn't much care for the doubt he could see in her aqua eyes. "Don't worry. They'll help you whether I'm in the picture or not. It would be morally reprehensible for them to do otherwise after all and we can't have that." Peter murmured to her, though his last statement was directed more at Derek than her.

"Thank you for the offer but we didn't come for a social call unfortunately. Now that you've all gotten acquainted, I think we should be on our way." Peter prompted the leopard who looked divided on what she ought to do, who she ought to place her trust in. He smiled at Winter when she looked up at him and she hesitantly grinned back, finally nodding and turning to follow him out despite Derek calling her name and warning her that she was safer here with them.

"Winter wait!" Scott called when she didn't listen to Derek like he'd hoped, his eyes flooding red as he spoke. His words froze the leopard in her tracks and she looked back at him, her aqua eyes going wide with wonder as she looked at him and she asked in disbelief if he was their pack's alpha and not Derek like she'd assumed. Scott glanced among his friends and all of them nodded, though Stiles couldn't resist commenting that they weren't exactly a 'traditional' pack. 

"Sort of? We try to do things a little more... Democratically I guess you could say. I just want to do what I can to keep my family and friends safe. But that isn't important right now anyway, you can't leave with him Winter. He's manipulating you. Stay here with us." Scott insisted, taking an involuntary step forward and reaching his hand out to her in an insistent gesture.

Peter leaned in closer to Winter's side, placing his hand lightly on the small of her back, "That isn't true, you know that. When have I ever not given you a choice Winter? They're the ones trying to force you into something, not me. I'll explain everything they told you about tonight if you'll give me a chance, but I won't make you go or stay. It's up to you." Peter murmured kindly in her ear, knowing this would be an apt test of just how well he'd managed to win her over.

With the way Peter touched her, mixed in with their history they had already start to develop together she felt inclined to follow him but her racing heart and mind told her neither option suited her better than the other. At least… not one stood out in her mind more easily and comfortably. “You’ve always given me a choice but… how do I know you’re not just… tricking me into thinking it’s my choice or you haven’t… I don’t know, given me something?” She stammered out, hating the way Peter’s face changed at her accusation. “I’m sorry.” She whispered, hanging her head and feeling caught in the middle.

“Your kind listens to their alphas and puts their faith in their alphas and… that’s Scott. You’re not supposed to fight him.” She said, her aqua eyes welling up as she spoke and she reluctantly took a step back despite Peter telling her she wasn’t one of them. “Not yet but I have to prove myself. You even said so.” She reminded him, hugging her arms tighter around herself.

Scott lightly mentioned that he thought she was better off staying with Derek or himself and she nodded her acceptance. “He could stay too can’t he? We could still be together just… in a different place.” She suggested, hanging her head when Derek cut in.

“We’ve tried the whole bunking together thing and I don’t get much sleep when he’s around. Hardly like knowing that he’s got my address. It’s one or the other, not both Winter.” Derek said softly but sternly, “He’d still come around. On supervised visitation because knowing what you are makes me inclined to believe he’s going to kill you or at least use you for finding what he wants. We’ve got enough blood surrounding us and it’s better you stay close.” He said, seeing her look to Scott for further confirmation. The ‘true alpha’ nodded his agreement.

“Okay.” She whispered, looking up to Scott’s eyes that only turned back to their normal brown color as she agreed to stay. She watched the hurt in Peter’s face grow and her heart broke in the same moment as she went to his side to talk to him and only him. “I’m just… I’m really confused and if you told me everything from the start it might be different. I—I don’t know what the right thing is. You said I couldn’t be in the woods alone anymore, at least this is safer?” She mumbled, her eyes watering.


	8. Chapter 8

Peter swallowed the anger that was building in him, surprised that in the end Winter was willing to take the word of a seventeen year old stranger over his just because he was an alpha, and not even hers. He smiled at her kindly, reaching up to gently caress her upper arms and shook his head. "You know I'm the one who turned that alpha you're referring to. I set him on that path to become something far greater than he ever could have achieved on his own. But do I get any thanks for it? No." He shrugged his broad shoulders as if long accustomed to being unappreciated and misunderstood.

"I didn't want to burden you with everything all at once, especially since my priority is your safety right now. Bringing up the fact that you have an illegitimate teenage daughter to the woman you're interested in isn't exactly the easiest thing to do for one thing. In time, I had hoped to share everything with you, and I still want that chance... But you're absolutely right, you shouldn't venture out into the woods on your own anymore. It isn't safe." Peter murmured, sighing sadly as he took a few steps back towards the heavy metal sliding door.

"I'll see you soon. Just... Take everything they say with a grain of salt. None of their hands are clean either." He added in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, and he was pleased at the guilt that he could see in Derek and Scott's faces. He knew it was risky leaving her alone with them, but if he forced his hand now he would lose her for sure. Better to bank on the groundwork he'd laid with Winter and maintain a position of looking unfairly accused in her eyes.

He left Winter in Derek's hands, glancing over at his nephew one last time before shutting the door and smiling with false ease just to spite the younger Hale and make him believe this was all going according to his design. The second the barrier was shut he glowered, storming off to the elevator and stewing the whole way down. Peter hadn't expected to have to deal with all of them the first go around. Scott and his young stooges hardly ever all gathered at the loft like that, so he counted it as a stroke of bad luck he now had to overcome. He knew Winter hadn't been swayed from him yet she was simply confused and skittish, but he would definitely have some damage repair to do the next time he could get her alone.

Peter drove back to his townhouse, going inside and slamming the door shut harder than necessary. He needed to speak with her again soon, tonight if possible but he wasn't sure how he was going to accomplish that. He could bypass Derek's security system easily, but he was fairly sure that his nephew fully expected him to make a move like that and would be waiting for him to come back. Derek understood just as much as Peter did how valuable Winter was, but he lacked the vision his uncle had concerning how her power should be wielded. They all did.

Peter spent the whole evening pacing throughout his house, unable to stop thinking about how the evening had gone for even a second though he kept getting distracted when he'd catch traces of Winter's scent around his place or thinking about what they might be doing now if she had chosen to come home with him. He wanted her here where he could keep an eye on her, entrench her trust in him. He wanted her here so he could talk to her, touch her, hear her voice...

Peter knew he needed to get out of his own head running in circles like he was, focusing on the wrong priorities. He knew there was a fairly good chance that Derek and the rest of them would keep trying to convince Winter to forsake him completely, and he understood the wild creature in her well enough to know that if she felt pressured or trapped in any way that she would bolt. He felt it likely enough that a little past midnight he drove out to the preserve, easily traced his way back to her former den he'd first found her in, and waited.

“You have to understand what Peter is and what he’s done. We might have made our mistakes but they were just that. Mistakes.” Derek said to Winter as they all sat together eating though she hardly picked at her meal while the others kept their eyes on her at all times. She found almost instantly that she didn’t like this, didn’t like them so much as she thought she was supposed to. At least Peter didn’t pressure her into conversation and when she had asked him if she could hunt he went with her for protection while here they forbade her from leaving the loft until they knew the extent of the danger she was bringing. “We didn’t seek out more blood to spill like he did and like he still does. You’re his next target and that’s it. I wish it were more but it’s not, not with him.”

Winter said nothing more throughout dinner, appreciating that Derek let her borrow one of his shirts for bed and set up the spare room so she could rest should she want to. He said his good night but she felt a sense that he was planning on watching her door at all times, even as the others left his place. She didn’t change but sat on the end of the bed for hours, wondering what Peter was doing and missing his comforting embrace already. Perhaps she had made a mistake or perhaps she wasn’t meant for this life at all, she knew how to run but she didn’t know how to fight or be a part of a pack like theirs, not in the least bit.

She sat up suddenly, watching the moon outside and feeling the urge to run. It would be a few stories to drop down but nothing she couldn’t handle, pushing open the window and scaling down the wall as silently as she could manage. The leopard’s eyes glowed a brilliant blue in the darkness, her night vision kicking into high gear as she took off at a run, barefooted once more and deciding she wanted a fresh kill, the hunt alone would help her clear her thoughts. She shifted into her full form and chased down a squirrel, not her best kill but the chase had been entertaining and enough to make her winded as she leapt down from the high branch of a tree onto the ground once more, landing on her feet.

She carried her kill in her mouth back the half mile or so to her old den, growling lowly and pleasingly as she went to get herself settled. She never worried about others coming out this far, eating her meal and wiping her face mostly as she changed back to her human state. She wandered naked until she found her clothes, carrying them in the warm night and humming to soothe herself and ready for sleep, she could return to her companion later when she felt it right to do so.

Winter jolted suddenly at the sight of someone sitting atop the rocks she normally slept in and the battered black hanley was something she had come to recognize. Peter. She felt her heart racing all over again, like the first time they met and as of now she wasn’t certain if she should run to him or away from him. He turned around at the sound of her footsteps and she could see his smirk in the distance at the sight of her bare form. She covered herself, remembering curtesy but he stood and wandered the few paces towards her. He mentioned that he knew she wouldn’t last long with those kids and she blinked up at him, hugging her arms around herself while he put his coat over her small shoulders. “We’re not supposed to see each other or be together. I’m not supposed to trust you.” She whispered, her eyes watering and she bent to pull on her panties and shorts at least, wrapping herself up in his jacket that was many sizes too big but she liked the scent of him surrounding her.

He was wearing that cologne she liked and she couldn’t help but purr, stepping towards him and catching a whiff of it faintly in the wind. Peter smiled and tugged her chin up, urging here to look at him as he explained that with him they were a team, he didn’t restrict her and she knew he was right in that sense. “But I’m—I don’t know who to trust. I don’t know what’s true of what they told me about you and what you’ve said to me anymore. I think perhaps I should be alone again that way I don’t hurt anyone. I’ll leave Beacon Hills I promise, they won’t follow to here if I don’t stay.”

Peter clicked his tongue at her, chiding her softly in a way for her suggestion that she simply leave and moving his fingers from gripping her chin to run through her dark hair like he knew she enjoyed.

"Don't you see Winter, they're the ones trying to make you think you can only trust one or the other. It isn't about picking a side as much as they want it to be. Both they and myself will protect you, help you, you don't have to trust me and not them or the other way round." Peter soothed, ever so slowly turning her with him to start walking through the woods back towards his car.

"I know what they told you about me has raised a lot of questions, understandably so. But it's not as though I was intentionally keeping things from you, I just wanted to share everything with you gradually, just like I didn't expect you to give me every last detail of your past right away, only enough to help me understand why you were on the run. There's a lot of my past I'm not exactly proud of, but I'm more than happy to answer any questions you have and explain my actions for good or bad to you." Peter insisted, speaking in a low tone so she had to lean in close to him to catch his words over the crunch of the leaf litter under their feet. They neared his car and stopped to lean against the rear of it before actually getting in.

"The last thing you should do is leave, and Scott, Derek and everyone else would agree with that absolutely. You might keep more threats from coming to Beacon Hills that way but it would amount to a death sentence for you and none of us would wish that on you. Even if the others don't like you and I being together, they would never simply abandon you to die at the hands of your old pack. We are... Together, aren't we?" Peter asked hesitantly, giving her an overly concerned look though if he was being honest with himself he did feel genuine worry that she wouldn't agree to come back with him.

Winter searched his face, her aqua eyes watering and finally she nodded, slipping her arms around his middle and Peter smiled just before their lips met in a deep kiss. When they broke apart she asked for his promise that he would be honest with her, answer anything she asked just like he'd said and he lightly kissed her forehead.

"Of course. I promise." He answered simply, pulling away from her and opening the passenger side door of his vehicle for her, "Will you come home with me? You aren't choosing me over them. They'll come around, trust me. Sometimes it just takes them longer to realize that my plans are always for the good of the pack over all, and you're a part of that now." Peter reasoned with a kind smile, adding the qualifier only in his mind that it was for the good of his pack, that once he was the alpha here once more Beacon Hills would be a far better place for all of them.

Winter was mostly silently the whole ride back to Peter’s townhouse, soothed by the familiarity of his car and knowing it would only be a further ease of mind when she was in his home once more. He was right, a pack meant they were one and she had to come to trust both sides like he encouraged her to do. His pack wouldn’t want to see her dead and she knew that much which meant they had no reason to risk her, no reason they would want to keep her out of the woods except to protect her.

They pulled up to his place and in a flash he was out of the car and offering his arm for her to take like she was something overly special to him. She made herself smile, guilt washing over her for having left him in the first place though he hardly seemed upset by it. “How did you know I’d go out there? That I’d run off in the first place?” She asked him, taking the crook of his elbow and letting him lead her back to the house, waiting as he unlocked it before answering that he figured she wouldn’t be able to stand it long with them.

He asked if they had locked her away and she shrugged, “They didn’t lock me away but when the others left, Derek took more interest in knowing about me and keeping an eye on what I was doing. I thought he would hear me leaving but maybe he didn’t care if I did or… I don’t know, I just felt cornered.” She admitted, squeezing his arm again and cuddling his bicep when they entered. “You make me feel better. I wanted to run to you but I thought you’d be angry.” She muttered, looking up at him with pleading eyes, begging for forgiveness.

Peter closed the door and cupped her face, shaking his head and kissing her head down to her nose until he found her lips, continuing his attention lightly until she deepened it in response. She mewled when he pulled back to tell her he could never be upset with her for long, promising that he wanted only what was best for her even if she thought it meant not being with him.

Winter clutched at the front of his shirt and nodded once more, kissing him slowly. “You’re best for me I think. That’s what it feels like anyways. I really like you Peter and you’ve been so good to me.” She hummed, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him again until he groaned. She slipped his jacket off her shoulders, letting it fall as she stepped into him and urged him to pick her up. “Take me to bed. Please?” She asked, kissing him languidly as he bent to scoop her up and guide her limbs around his frame.

She hopped up into his arms, nuzzling into his face and neck as she nibbled his flesh and purred at his light touches along her back. “I won’t leave again because now I know that I’m yours. You’re the one I want to please, you’re the man I want to be with.” She whispered, groaning as she curved around him further and ground down against his erection, “I trust you to tell me everything, Peter.”

 

Peter's mouth stretched into a wide grin at her words, triumph and more than a little relief washing over him. He'd passed the test, gotten her loyalty despite the unanticipated obstacle of having to deal with Derek's after-school special of a pack all at once. The older Hale was continually frustrated by his nephew's lack of vision and his apparent need to play foster father to a bunch of upstarts, but with Winter solidly on his side he could accomplish what he wanted with or without the rest of them. He would eventually make them understand why he should be the alpha in Beacon Hills. 

Peter adjusted his grip on Winter with a little bounce so he could carry her more securely, taking his prize upstairs and relishing her little noises and touches spurring him to make it to his room faster. "I will tell you everything Winter. You're the first person I've ever wanted to share everything with." Peter told her in a sincere tone, and he supposed to a certain degree it was true, since she was the first person he'd ever spoken to about Victoria since she died.

Peter nudged his bedroom door open with his foot, heading directly into the master bath attached to it and setting her down with a playful smirk on the vanity counter. He tugged his shirt off as he turned from her, bending to start filling his deep clawfoot tub with steaming hot water. The werewolf went to stand between Winter's legs and leaned in to kiss her deeply, the sound of their ragged mingled breathing barely audible over the noise of the tub faucet running full tilt.

Peter let his hands roam over his lover's bare upper half, his mouth wandering from hers to graze on her neck and she mewled softly, her hands slipping between them to start working his belt and jeans off. His remaining garments pooled around his ankles and he stepped out of them, offering his hand to Winter so she could hop back off the counter and he made quick work of her bottoms as well. She was flushed and smiling up at him, and he felt a surprising surge of relief having her here and looking at him like he was her world again. He never wanted her to stop looking at him like that.

"Come here." Peter murmured with a crooked grin, gathering Winter against him and kissing her hard and deep till her heart was pounding and his lungs were burning for want of air. They broke apart and he tugged her with him to climb into the nearly full tub, groaning as she settled astride his lap and her bare sex slid against his in the hot water. The leopard purred as she rocked down against him, her cheeks flooding a deeper shade of red that wasn't attributed to the temperature of the bathwater.

"I'm glad you're back kitten." Peter panted, drawing his hands up out of the water to fondle her full chest, tweaking her sensitive peaks and slowly arching up into her motions to stimulate her further. Winter shuddered and moaned his name, rising up enough to guide his thick length inside her. Peter growled as she sank fully onto him, savoring the way her pretty features contorted with pleasure as he filled her up and he blindly reached over to turn off the running water never taking his eyes off her as she started to ride him.

Peter cupped the back of her neck and pulled her down to his level, thrusting up into her tight sheath and kissing her ravenously claiming her in every way he possibly could. Winter melted into him, her sounds muffled by his lips and he released her after a few moments, wanting to hear her cries for him clearly. He drew one hand down to tease her clit with his thumb as she rode him, his gaze igniting with blue light as the added sensation made Winter's eyes roll back in her head and she gripped the edge of the tub to keep from falling over as she came hard around him.

“Ahh… Peter.” The Leopard purred, moaning under her breath on every thrust of their bodies together. She clung to him, the added sensation of his thumb on her sensitive button pushing her over the edge. She reached back and grasped at the lip of the tub, offering him a generous view of their bodies connecting repeatedly as she came around his thick arousal, riding out her high until she was spent and shaking.

She leaned into him once more, wrapping her hands around either side of his neck and keeping his face close to hers as she caught his gaze and continued to thrust forward against him. “Come for me.” She whispered against his ear, kissing along his jaw and cheek, watching him intently as he throbbed within her and she kept above him, craving their closeness. Winter moaned his name again, crying out and finding her second peak just as she felt him explode within her body, pushing her a little further and making her shudder at the new sensation.

She slowed above him, her legs locked around his hips as she kissed him languidly, “Thank you for taking me back.” She muttered, her eyes a little watery as her guilt still remained but he shook his head and said he never truly let her go. The Were smiled and nuzzled her nose to his, hands rubbing his broad chest, “I like when you come in me.” She hummed, grinning despite his mention that they couldn’t let that happen, that he shouldn’t have let it happen even once. “It’s okay.” She soothed, unworried by the circumstances for the moment as she laid against his chest.

Peter reached for the soap and as she slipped off him she felt that closeness still while he washed her off, an affectionate look in his eyes. She cleaned him in turn which in part included her teasingly licking up the water droplets from his face and neck until he groaned. “Can I sleep with you?” She whispered, licking the shell of his ear and feeling him reach for the drain plug, letting the water run out as he scooped her up again and set her on her feet as he offered her a towel.

She waited for an answer, looking at him adoringly while he toweled her off and wrapped the fabric around her small form before working on himself. Peter took her hand and led the way to his bed, not answering but she understood when he nudged her to lay down. Winter complied her towel falling open and he climbed between her legs, kissing her deeply as he settled over her. “Peter.” She whispered, tugging his head from her belly to make him look at her and he did, questioning her halting his advance. “I love when you call me kitten. I love being your kitten.” She admitted softly, “Only yours.”

Peter grinned broadly at her words, reaching for her hand and tugging it down to brush his lips over her knuckles in an endearing gesture. "I can't tell you how glad I am to hear you say that." He said with absolute sincerity, "You are my little kitten and no one else's, but don't forget as much as you're mine, I'm yours as well." He said in a soothing voice, seeing the emotion spring to her aqua eyes and he internally congratulated himself on how well this was progressing.

Peter returned his attention to kissing his way down her flat belly, breathing in her heady scent and greedily eating her out till she was a shuddering mess beneath him and he was ready to have her again. He slid up her trembling body and kept her glassy gaze trapped with his darkened one as he pushed into her heat and took her slow and deep. He brought her over the edge again, finally succumbing himself but pulling out and coming between their bodies despite her little mewl of protest when he withdrew from her at the last second.

Peter slumped against her in the wake of their shared high, panting and placing errant kisses over her throat and along the inside of her wrist when she drew her hand up to run through his damp hair. He rolled off of her to grab some tissues, cleaning them both up and settling on his side next to her with his arm wrapped possessively around her middle.

Winter was the only woman he'd ever been with that he actually took the initiative to cuddle with after sex, and he was surprised that after a couple weeks of being with her the impulse was automatic in him now, something he actually wanted rather than a move in his game to win her over. The realization disturbed him enough that he had to put down the urge to pull away from her and prove to himself that he didn't need the contact with her, but he couldn't afford to do that with her loyalty so recently cemented in him. She needed this, whether he did or not didn't matter right now.

Winter settled against him and sighed contentedly, requesting that they talk about what they needed to in the morning, wanting to simply rest with him for now and he nodded, kissing the back of her head for reassurance. The leopard fell asleep almost immediately but Peter remained awake for a long while after, questioning himself and how good it felt having this woman sleeping peacefully in his arms.

When the sun rose Peter climbed out of bed, not having actually slept but he felt rested enough, not requiring much sleep in the first place and listening to Winter softly breathing beside him relaxed the werewolf more than we would've thought possible. He left her still drowsing in his sheets, pulling on a pair of dark drawstring pants and going down to the kitchen to make Winter's favorite thing he cooked, blueberry pancakes.

He glanced at his phone he'd left on the counter the night before, not surprised to see several missed calls but only two texts from his nephew. The first simply read Call me and the second I know she's with you. I don't know what you're planning but I'll protect her from you if I have to. Peter smiled and typed out a response one handed while he whisked his pancake batter together, She's perfectly safe with me. Don't worry so much Derek, it'll age you prematurely. He sent his reply and deleted the message thread, turning his full attention to the food he was preparing.


	9. Chapter 9

Winter purred even as she roused, feeling content and satisfied now being back with her lover. She rolled over in bed, expecting to meet the thick form of her companion but grasping only blanket and pillows. He aqua eyes fluttered open, blinking uncertainly as she processed the absence of him. “Peter?” She whispered, stretching in his bed and letting the covers wrap around her body. She nuzzled his pillow briefly before getting up and using his bathroom.

She stole his shirt from the floor and pulled on her panties once more, skipping down the steps and into the kitchen, the scent of his pancakes filling her nose and making her hum. She propped herself up on her toes, using her cat-like abilities to be as quiet as she could but still his head turned just slightly to the left and then his voice followed, mentioning dogs are hard to sneak up on. The leopard giggled and poked his side when she got to him, ducking to the opposite side of him, looping under his arm and grabbing a warm pancake from the stack he had started building.

Peter turned from one direction to the other and when he finally looked at her she bounced up on her toes again to kiss him softly. “No good for sneaking but easy to fool.” She teased, closing her eyes and resting her cheek to his chest while he kissed her head and she nibbled on the sweet blueberry pancake he had made. He continued to cook with her between him and the stove, seeming unbothered by Winter leaning on him until he was finished.

Her eyes popped open suddenly when Peter swatted her rear end and growled in her ear about stealing his clothes. At first she couldn’t read if he was upset but then when she looked up into his eyes she understood and laughed. “It doesn’t seem like you mind.” She teased, glancing between them and playfully tugging at the hem of his sweatpants, making them snap lightly against his chiseled abdomen. The were spun on her heels and grabbed the plate, ducking under his arm again and enjoying the feeling of his eyes on her as she went to sit at the table.

“Do you still have blueberry syrup?” She asked him, bouncing in her seat and waiting for him to bring over the rest of their meal, sausage and eggs. Winter hummed, taking a piece of sausage and devouring it while he got the syrup she liked best and she drowned her pancakes in the sweet blue sauce. She licked her lips and tore into the breakfast he made for them, “I’m ready to talk now.” She informed him, glancing at the device in his hands and hearing it buzzing repeatedly until he clicked it off. “Who’s that?” She asked but he turned the conversation back to her original statement.

Peter asked her where she wanted him to begin and the woman shrugged, “The beginning I guess? Whatever you haven’t told me I want to know.” She muttered, not looking at him as she thought about all he might have kept from her. “Have you killed a lot of people? I mean… was it just for fun?” She asked.

Peter barely managed to contain his glee at her blatant trust in him, basically leaving the floor open to him to say what he would. Still he knew he had to tread carefully, the werewolf could basically say anything at this point and she would consider it gospel truth, but he had to give her enough actual truth to pass future grilling sessions with his nephew especially should the arise and they likely would knowing Derek.

Peter considered her question about the lives he'd taken, thinking over each death he'd caused with his own hand or indirectly. She looked a little worried with the time he was taking to answer and he smiled at her encouragingly, wiping his mouth with his napkin before speaking.

"Well I've never killed purely for pleasure, but I can't say that none of the kills I made were fun or rather satisfying is the more correct word to describe it. I killed for my pack back when my father was our alpha, and it felt good to protect my family. I killed for revenge after the fire, and getting vengeance for my family felt even better, though it's since come back to bite me in the ass." Peter rolled his eyes a bit at the thought of Kate Argent, the bitch that just wouldn't seem to die.

"I recently killed one of the assassins roaming around here you heard about last night, but in all fairness he nearly killed me first. If you're looking for a number, I'm afraid I'm not quite sure. But other than Victoria who I've already spoken of, I've never needlessly taken a life. I can assure you of that. We're predators after all, aren't we? And the only way to ensure the safety of one's pack is to permanently remove the threats facing it." Peter reasoned, watching Winter's face carefully trying to measure her reaction to his words as she digested them.

Winter seemed to accept what he said for the most part, killing obviously didn't sit well with her but at least she believed him when he said he didn't delight in bloodshed which was only partially true. The next topic she brought up was another dicey one, asking about the skinny boy at Derek's place mentioning he had a daughter his age who they claimed he was manipulating though she wasn't there to speak for herself.

"Ah yes... It is true that I have a daughter. She's seventeen, her name is Malia." Peter responded with the barest hint of a smile, picturing his headstrong daughter who had lived even rougher than Winter had. "Like you, she can fully transform, but she's a bit smaller in stature." Peter continued with a little chuckle, rubbing the back of his head when Winter asked him curiously what she was.

"She's a coyote, like her mother. She's not in the picture however." He answered and he made himself look wounded when Winter asked him if he'd killed her mother. The leopard quickly apologized for her assumption and Peter brushed it off considering that in actuality he would jump at the chance to kill the Desert Wolf. 

"No her mother is... On the lamb so to speak. She's very powerful but she's made even more powerful enemies, myself included. That's why I need to find her, and why I've been trying to get Malia to help me. Historically werewolves and werecoyotes are bitter enemies, she has a much better chance at finding and then getting close to her than I do." Peter explained though he was fairly sure he was creating more questions than he was answering at this point.

Winter mulled over his words for awhile, finally commenting that he hadn't killed Malia's mother, but he planned on doing so, to which Peter shook his head. "No, not unless it becomes necessary anyway. The truth is I'm not sure what to think about her anymore in the most literal sense." Peter leaned forward in his chair when Winter looked confused by his last statement, being even more careful about how he phrased the next part of what he had to say.

"My sister Talia, she took away my memories of Malia's mother before she died. I'm not even sure why she did it, but I can't just go around with a huge gap in my memory, especially when I apparently had a child with this woman and her connections to me and Malia put us in danger. Every Were hunter from here all the way south of the border is looking for her, and they've already tried to get to her through me once... Lost this finger in the process by the way, Derek had to sew it back on." Peter wiggled his fingers at her with more than a little chagrin and none of that was manufactured as he recalled that old Mexican hag slicing his digit off.

Winter sat quite literally on the edge of her seat, listening to him tell his story in full detail. The more he spoke the more she felt she could trust him completely again, though she couldn’t prove all of what he said she just had to have faith in him like she had done before. Her eyes went to his hand, looking over each finger of his for a notable scar and of course because of what he was there was little to see.

She smiled at him sorrowfully, scooting closer in her chair so she could reach up and brush his thick hair back with her fingertips. “That’s horrible that she took those memories away from you… for all we know you could have truly loved her.” She muttered, “I’m sorry you lost that but maybe Talia thought she was… incapable of any of that. Maybe that’s why you ended up with Malia on your own, because she knew you’d be better for her.”

Her eyes went to Peter’s when she noticed his expression change at the mention of his custody over Malia, “What?” She asked, shifting and taking his hand to encourage him to talk to her. The werewolf looked up at her and explained that he had given up Malia to another family so she could have a better life, thinking himself too selfish and incapable of caring for another at the time. Winter nodded slowly, fiddling with his large hand as she spoke. “I can’t say I would know either way considering I didn’t know you seventeen years ago but what’s important is that… you thought of what was best for her and you have her now. Maybe you should be reunited and she can stay with us.” She suggested hopefully, thinking that his sorrow was coming from the lack of a relationship with his daughter.

“Every girl loves and wants her father. Mine was absent until I was ten, granted I didn’t know any better then I suppose but when he came back it was like he’d been there my whole life. I’ve never been angry at him for leaving because he fixed it and you can fix it with Malia.” The leopard soothed, blinking up at him while he argued against it but thanked her for trying to comfort him. She nodded solemnly, her heart breaking for the man before her, certain she had never seen him so upset since she met him.

She opted for moving on, “Well I hope that I get to meet her. Wherever she’s hiding.” Winter muttered, slipping into Peter’s lap for further comfort though she was almost certain it was more for her than it was for him. She rested on his chest and held his hand around her frame, “And Derek… he’s your nephew right? Is Malia the reason he seems so… pitted against you?” She asked, “You mentioned a fire before and you were hurt too… I’d think he’d be glad he has some family left regardless of your past I mean you’re only trying to help by finding Malia’s mom and putting them out of danger it sounds like.”

 

Peter doubted very much that Talia took his memories for such altruistic reasons, but regardless of the reason he was nearly consumed with his need to recover what he had lost. Loose ends and lack of information were things he simply could not tolerate. His sister thought her powers gave her clearance to play god, well he wasn't about to bend to her designs especially after her death.

He explained how he had decided to give up Malia for adoption, her name the only thing he ever wanted to give her considering that the last thing on earth he was built for was fatherhood. Winter of course gave him more credit than was due in that aspect, even going so far as to suggest that he and Malia could be a happy family one day and he had to shake his head at that.

"Trust me, the most Malia and I will ever have is a... Working relationship at best. She tolerates me to some degree because she knows I can help her find her mother, and it's pretty much a two way street that way. Once all that mess is resolved I doubt if we'll have much contact. But that's very sweet of you to hope for something like that for me. It's more than I deserve." Peter thanked her softly, and there was a note of genuine sadness in his voice that he would never be closer with his daughter considering how few Hales were left.

He didn't have much time to dwell on the matter, Winter asked him next about what was probably the most volatile matter, his nephew Derek and the bad blood between them. Peter cocked his head to one side and drew in a breath through his teeth as he considered how to respond.

"Well... Not exactly. I mean yes Malia is a contributing factor but there's a list a mile long." Peter chuckled and shook his head, "Derek and I aren't terribly far apart in age with his mother Talia being so much older than me. We were more like brothers in a lot of respects back when he was growing up. We used to be so close." Peter mused with a note of sadness though that was more for Winter, mostly he was just annoyed that his nephew had grown out of his habit of blindly following Peter's guidance.

"But nowadays it's not like that between us. Derek doesn't trust me anymore, and I wish I could say I didn't understand why but I do. He... Blames me for the death of his older sister Laura." Peter explained with a note of hesitation, making her ask him to tell her what happened and feeling pleased when he heard no trace of suspicion in her voice.

"I told you a little about the fire, and how I was injured. I was nearly killed, more than 50% of my body covered in third degree burns. I was in a coma for six years, trapped inside my own body in a sea of pain and confusion. At the time Derek and Laura weren't here, they were looking for Derek's younger sister my niece Cora who had gone missing from our family's land down in South America." Peter continued, gently running his hand over Winter's back as he spoke.

"When word got to them, Laura came back to Beacon Hills to investigate. Talia had chosen her to succeed her as our pack's alpha, she'd only just inherited the power from her mother and when she came back, even in my injured state sensed her presence. I was out of my mind,   
operating solely on instinct and with Talia gone I perceived her as a threat... I tore her apart, Winter. Derek has good reason to despise me." Peter said sadly, sticking with the sympathy angle since it was going well for him so far and it played well with Derek's penchant for threatening him with bodily harm nearly every time they were in the same room more than five minutes.

Winter cuddled into her companion the more he spoke, trusting each part of his stories and putting her whole faith in what he was saying to be true. Peter had been right before, or at least he had a good point that jumping the gun and telling a stranger his whole past might have been way to simply scare her off right off the bat without giving him chance to explain himself any further. She supposed she couldn’t very well blame him for wanting to wait until they knew each other a little better before opting to tell about his sister and niece as well as the rest of his family.

She heaved a little sigh, feeling bad for the man though she wasn’t quite sure just how she could fix things so extensive. He didn’t blame her for killing her best friend in her frightened state, how could anyone blame Peter for having gone mad and mistakenly killed his niece? There was a part of her that wished everyone saw the world the way Peter seemed to, not black and white but filled with grey, understanding mistakes and treating them as such.

“He does and he doesn’t.” The leopard said, “You said you weren’t in your right mind… You’d been through a lot and six years in a coma… Peter you didn’t know what you were doing at the time. He shouldn’t blame you completely for that. Where was he the whole time you were injured and alone?” She questioned, feeling a bit of upset towards the younger of the two Werewolves.

“I know you still killed her but it’s like you said with me… there’s certain situations where your control isn’t balanced no matter what you do. You just reacted and I’m sure Derek can’t say that he wouldn’t have done the same if he had thought everyone of his family members was gone and then suddenly one is there. He’d be wary too.” Winter muttered, nuzzling into his neck and running her fingers through his hair to soothe him further. “It’s okay Peter.” She whispered, kissing his jaw ever so lightly.

She could feel his heart against her cheek, nervously pulsing and she chalked it up to his not wishing to discuss things too much further and Winter thought perhaps she had crossed the line a bit in one sitting. “Anyhow, I hope I get to meet Malia and I hope she comes around to realize how great her father is.” She hummed, taking his hand and kissing his palm lovingly, her eyes filled with affection again. “How about we finish this later and for now you join me in the shower? I know how much you like those.” She teased playfully, nuzzling her nose to his and standing up to tug him with her. “I don’t want you stuck on those things. You’re healed now.” She comforted.

 

Peter smiled softly up at Winter, pleased that he'd managed to turn a problem into a solution as far as convincing Winter further to side with him. He was fairly sure he could get her to do just about anything for him now, and he had a full agenda. But there was still the question of Winter's old pack, he hadn't been lying when he told her there was almost no chance that they weren't still looking for her. If they showed up at the wrong time, it could throw a wrench into his plans. He took her hand and let her lead him up to his bathroom, relishing his prize for the moment before any real work began. 

Peter spent the next couple weeks or so working with Winter in and out of her fully shifted form, teaching her to expand her mind and realize she was capable of greater strength, speed and precision than she had ever used before. He began teaching her how to fight effectively, often at Derek's request he brought her to the loft to train under his supervision though it was obvious that he simply wanted to get some kind of read on what Peter may or may not have planned for her.

When the situation with the Benefactor came to a head and Peter discovered that a little twig of a banshee had apparently been orchestrating everything she believed at his behest, that caused an even greater divide between him and his nephew but for once Peter was genuinely left with no cards to play. He couldn't account for himself during those first couple years he was hospitalized, he had been truly out of his mind then and the fact that Meredith had soaked up his maniacal rantings like a little supernatural sponge was beyond his control. Hell, the whole debacle had nearly derailed many of his own plans that he'd made in a sound state of mind.

Winter stayed staunchly loyal to him throughout the whole mess, seeing his side from a perspective that Derek and the others never would and that comforted him. Peter still didn't like how things sat now though, there were too many variables not under his control and besides it perturbed him that he was getting the blame for a plan that failed so spectacularly. At least he managed to recover most of his stash of money.

With the Benefactor contracts terminated most of the supernatural creatures that had come out of the woodwork receded, trying to pick up the pieces of their lives. So when Peter was in town getting a few things for himself and Winter, the sight of an unfamiliar wolf pack in the street stuck out to him more than it would have say, a week prior. Peter put down the groceries he was loading into the trunk of his car, staring at who he was certain was the alpha of the group across the road.

The Hale strode confidently across the street right up to the group, looking them all up and down with a little smirk on his face, "Guys come on, you couldn't be less subtle if you tried. You look like a bunch of greatest hits from a police suspect line up milling around all menacingly like this." Peter mocked, crossing his arms over his broad chest and taking their alpha's measure. He was no longer an alpha himself, but Peter had always been more powerful as a baseline considering his ability to transform closer to a full lupine form.

"We caught her scent on you. Where are you hiding her?" The tall muscled ringleader sneered, no names were needed for it to be understood who was being discussed. Peter's brows rose in alarm, he had to sell this well now or he wouldn't have any time to act on the plans he'd put in place long ago in case Winter's old pack showed up.

"She isn't here. She's moved on. Probably smelled your stench coming." Peter sneered, backpedaling and pulling out his phone, letting them rush him and crowd him against the side of his car, not putting up a fight when one of the betas snatched his cell from him. "Just leave her be, she's no concern of yours anymore." Peter pleaded, letting just enough fear into his voice and eyes that Winter's old alpha laughed at him and held up his phone screen for him to see.

"You gave your pet a phone? How nice of you but I don't see what use a wild animal has for one." The taller man mocked, using the gps locator on Peter's phone to track one in Winter's name out at her den in the woods. "She won't be anyone's concern for long once I get my claws into her." He added shoving Peter against his car but not making too big a scene considering the public venue. 

They left Peter panting and shaking against his car, but the second they were out of sight he immediately composed himself, congratulating himself on his acting skills but he knew he wasn't out of the woods yet. He had to get back to the house and get Winter to Derek, he knew his nephew wouldn't fight with him now after what had happened but he would at least keep her safe for him.

“Why do we have to go to Derek’s?” Winter asked when her lover had hurriedly come home that afternoon, hardly giving her time to help him unpack their groceries when he was ordering her to go pack a bag for at least one or two nights. “What about you?” She asked, getting a vague answer that he was set and ready to go but smiling as he told her to hurry up.

She faintly heard him on the phone, not catching all of the conversation but understanding that something was going on that had Peter being so strange all the sudden. She did as he asked and packed up some of her stuff, carrying it out to the car and letting him usher her into the passanger seat. He took her to Derek’s where the young werewolf was standing out front to greet them. She smiled as she hugged her lover’s nephew tightly, nuzzling his scruffy cheek as he took her bag and led them inside.

“You’re sure?” Derek said simply, confusing Winter a little when he directed the question at Peter and kept her positioned behind him, absently guiding her to the couch. Peter nodded, said he had a plan but needed her to be watched over until he could completely ‘sort things out.’ The younger of the two nodded his understanding in return, “I got it from here.” He assured his uncle, stepping aside for Peter to say his goodbye to Winter.

The leopard’s eyes watered instantly at the feeling of sudden abandonment, “What?” She whispered, clutching his shirt and making it stretch when she wouldn’t let him step away from her. “Peter what’s going on? I don’t wanna be here with him. Why are you leaving me?” She pleaded with him, already having an idea of what might be going on but regardless of the reasoning she knew once Peter had a set mind there really was no changing it.

“Winter come on.” Derek said in a gentle tone, taking her back away from the elder wolf and guiding her to sit down. She reluctantly obeyed, staring teary eyed at her lover across the room, feeling hurt that he was ditching her no matter the reason and more importantly keeping her in the dark. “You’re sure you don’t want me to come with you? Scott can watch her too.” He mentioned, knowing the answer already but figuring it was worth one last try as Peter said he had motive and reason he wanted to end this all alone.

With that the wolf left and Derek wandered back to comfort the startled leopard sitting perched over the back of the sofa, looking ready to bolt after her original rescuer. Her breathing heavy and tears soaking her cheeks, “Why would you let him do that?” She demanded, smacking his chest and curling in on herself. “I’ve run from you before and I can do it again.” She snipped, challenging him until Derek made mention of the ‘special’ room in the attic that he had for disobedient pack members.

Peter left Winter under Derek's care, even without his werewolf power he knew he'd be able to protect her best, he was a living testament of brains and experience winning out over brute force every time. Scott might be a 'true alpha' now but he was still a 17 year old male and not the brightest one at that, Peter wouldn't trust him to watch over a pet turtle let alone another person. 

He hated the distress in her tone as he left her, promising with a little wave at the door to be back soon. The elder Hale knew it would be better to keep the details of what he was doing from her until after the fact, though from her distress he wondered if she didn't already have her suspicions about where he was going and what was going on.

Peter sped down the road towards the preserve, his window of opportunity was quickly closing. He might be considered powerful as far as werewolves went, but it was still one against four and those odds weren't great even for an alpha, which he was no longer. But as with his decision to leave Winter in Derek's care, a little brain went a long way against pure brawn. He checked his phone, he had minutes at best to pull this off.

Peter had planted a cell phone in Winter's former den weeks ago, keeping it charged and protected from the elements as well as leaving a few of the leopard's items of clothing around to keep her scent fresh in the area. He didn't know exactly when her pack would come for her, but he was prepared to keep up appearances for as long as it took. The phone, kept in a duffle bag inside the den was bait. If any werewolf who didn't know better wandered in after it, they would trip one of many trigger wires Peter had rigged up to set off grenades full of a potent form of wolfsbane into the air surrounding the cave. 

He had been giving himself small injections of the ash from the same plant in order to keep himself immune to that particular strain. Over time even the ash would eventually degrade his health, but for now it would give him the advantage he needed in an unevenly stacked fight like this.

Peter finally arrived shifting the second he got out of his car and taking off at a dead run into the woods in the gradually waning light. He quickly picked up the scent of Winter's former pack as well as the sharp smell of the wolfsbane and he grinned with a feral sort of pleasure, his trap had been successful. Now he just needed to dispatch them all before they had a chance to get away and recover.

Winter paced for hours, finally to the point where Derek had stopped following her all around the room and trying to keep in step with her. Now he remained on the sofa, watching her as he ate by himself, her own meal cooling on the coffee table in what he considered to be a living space but having spent so much time with Peter now she would consider this… barely an upgrade from her den.

She chewed on her nails until Derek got her attention once more, “Winter you should just sit down and eat. He’ll be back when he’s back. You need to stop worrying, that won’t help him at all.” The young werewolf reminded her, waiting once more before he sighed and opted for cleaning up their plates, leaving her for a few moments.

Derek turned on his heel and jolted as he nearly crashed into the brunette who was maybe half his size. “Jeezus.” He breathed, she certainly stood up to her feline counterpart.

“This is his.” The leopard stated, holding up a shirt she typically wore to bed, “Derek he’s in trouble and I know it and he told me about how you guys can track, especially other weres. We have to go find him and make sure he’s okay. I know what he’s doing, I’m not stupid.” She breathed, her voice trembling towards the end as she felt guilty all over again, having slowly pieced it together and either he was up to something no good or he was doing his damnedest to keep someone from finding her, though perhaps he found the Desert Wolf and didn’t want her involved. What if he still had feelings for her? And now they were realized.

“Win—“ Derek began again, sighing heavily and reaching out to push the garment away from his face but she shoved it again him again and pleaded he trace him or at least enough to tell her what direction he went. He shook his head at her more insistently, trying to stay strong and keep to his guns and the promise he made to his uncle. “Winter, I can’t!” He snapped finally when she wouldn’t let up and the roaring sound he hadn’t meant to make even without his wolfish side was enough to startle her away from him, more than he meant.

Winter’s eyes filled with fresh tears, pulling the shirt to her face and tearing off towards the exit. “Winter!” Derek called after her, cursing under his breath when she opted for the stairs over the elevator into his place. He chased after her, grabbing his keys should he need to drive to catch up but he was almost certain she knew where she was going and he did too based on what Peter said.


	10. Chapter 10

The leopard took off at a run, barefooted once more and hugging Peter’s shirt to her chest as she made her way towards the edge of the woods only to stop short. She listened, always having been a better tracker when it came to sight and sound rather than scent, closing her eyes and the only movements she heard were those of creatures meant to be there, nothing unusual. She heard the rumbling of Derek’s car suddenly and turned to look at him, ready to bolt again should he try to stop her. He called her name but this time rather than telling her no, he pointed out where Peter said he was heading as he climbed out of the vehicle to walk with her.

“Was he looking for her?” She asked, walking closer to Derek for comfort and resisting her urge to grab his arm like she would Peter’s. They walked in the steadying darkness and when she caught the sound of a groan she tore off again, dropping the shirt she had been holding close to her heart and running after the small sound. It was just by her den, she could smell her own markings of her territory then the harder she sniffed the more she began to cough and sputter, trying not to fall to her knees as she spotted Peter on the ground, covered in blood which she couldn’t tell quite yet if it was his own or someone elses. “Peter!” She screamed, hacking and choking again as she dropped down beside him, grasping either side of his face.

Her eyes tracked around the space, taking it all in and noting the bodies of people from her past. She trembled once more, “Peter… what did you do?” She whispered, coughing and covering her mouth as she lay over his chest before lifting her head again. “You killed them.” She cried, deciding if she should be proud of him for doing so or upset that he had done it alone.

The wolfsbane charges had leveled the playing field for him fairly well, but Peter still suffered many near fatal wounds in the fray. He had built up a decent temporary immunity to the strain of wolfsbane he'd used, but he could still feel the potent flower's effects slowing down the healing process.

Peter had stumbled trying to walk away from the scene of carnage and death he'd wrought, breathe a little bit fresher air so he could heal up enough to dispose of his mess properly. But when he fell among the rocks and leaves he found he couldn't get back up again, his head spinning and his limbs going leaden from blood loss. Every inch of him hurt, and he had to cough out a small chuckle in spite of it.

What the hell was wrong with him? He'd constructed this plan, come up with a few alternatives should it not pan out, and executed it when the time came all with no thought to his own preservation. He'd planned on fighting Winter's pack alone unless it was absolutely required for him to have help, and the savage glee he got from killing in the past was absent, replaced only by a sense of relief that the threat was gone. He didn't even care if he died like a dog in the dirt this very moment, a moronic smile plastered across his blood spattered face. All that mattered to him was that in the end he'd come out on top, and the biggest threat aimed specifically at Winter was eradicated.

Peter was no stranger to violence, he didn't balk at it in the least but that didn't mean he would enter a fight needlessly. He tended to hang back, let others do most of the work, take the brunt of the damage, then go in for the kill when it was ideal for him. He was a creature of shadows and subtlety, playing games five and six moves ahead in order to avoid any risk to himself. Yet here he was, bleeding out in the dirt because he'd purposefully charged head on into an uneven fight even with the countermeasures he'd employed. It was important to him that he be the one to kill Winter's old pack, make them pay for what they did to her by his own hand.

Peter laughed again though it came out as nothing more than a gargled wheeze. He supposed with how he was it was only fitting that this was how him caring for someone would manifest itself. No flowers and chocolates for this werewolf, it was all about orchestrating and executing a bloody vendetta that would end with him standing or none of them. It seemed that none of them was going to be the outcome here. All his other plans meant nothing to him now, all took a backseat the second he realized Winter was under threat. His plan to take Scott's power, to find the Desert Wolf, to rule the supernatural of Beacon Hills... All of it cast aside so he could have the pleasure of watching Winter's alpha take his last breath, feel his thick, almost black arterial blood ooze over his hands.

So this is what love feels like, hmm? Far more violent than I would've guessed, though maybe that's just me. Peter thought with a weak grin as his vision faded from dim to gray to black and his last waking thought was the image of Winter smiling at him over breakfast that morning, eating her pancakes and licking syrup off her fingertip.

The first thing he became aware of when he came to was how cold he felt, especially his back. Peter flinched and groaned, his skin prickling at the cold steel surface of the table he was laying on. A sharp medicinal scent filled his nose and suddenly he knew exactly where he was without even opening his eyes, a little smirk ghosting over his lips as he finally roused enough to look around and confirm that he was in Deaton's veterinary clinic.

"Well well, if it isn't everyone's favorite hypocrite." Peter slurred as his eyes rested on Deaton standing off to one side filling a syringe with some light yellow fluid of some kind. The two men had a long history of bad blood between them, and it made Peter's gorge rise a bit to think that he might possibly owe the druid his life, again. 

He didn't have time to come up with another barb to throw at the man, suddenly arms were around his neck and a light weight was on his chest, Winter's voice and scent intruding on his slowly responding senses and Peter smiled as he turned to face the woman grasping at him and calling his name.

Winter was crying as she flung herself nearly on top of her lover, clinging to his thick form and nuzzling his chest. “Peter.” She whispered, happy to see him coherent enough to be speaking full words that actually made sense unlike before when they hauled him out here. “You’re crazy.” She said, lifting her head to kiss him slowly until Deaton cleared his throat and lightly urged her to let him finish up so they could get Peter to fully heal.

She could barely wait while Deaton finished up giving Peter the antidote for the wolfsbane he had apparently administered himself. She was bouncing on her heels, practically tugging Peter’s arm and urging him to be done and well again so they could be together. Deaton finished up and started cleaning the instruments he used, disposing of what was needed while still giving them what bit of privacy he could in the small space.

“Derek told me what you did exactly. That you went out there with a plan, hid a phone under my name and in my den and waited for when they would show up.” She whispered, despite not being able to lie with him quite yet she still leaned on and against him as best as she could, humming as she clung to his arm hanging beside her. She kissed his bicep and played with his fingers absently.

“He said that… you wanted to do it alone because I was your responsibility. That you felt the need to set me free from them.” Winter mumbled, her eyes welling over with tears but still she smiled, nuzzling his arm again until he sat up and gently reached for her where she was knelt, urging her with his strong arms to stand and grunting with effort as he lifted her up with him. He always treated her so delicately and while she used to claim she never needed the affection she had actually craved it so long that she didn’t balk at the way he handled her.

“Is all that true?” The leopard asked, watching Deaton silently excuse himself for a moment to inform Derek that the man was going to live. Peter reached for her chin and guided her to look up at him, their eyes meeting and he was smiling as he promised that he wanted nothing more than to keep her safe from any harm that came her way, including that of her past. She nodded and turned her face into his palm to kiss it lightly, “But you don’t have to do that for me, I can care for myself if I have to and I’d have…” He voice broke, shaking her head as she couldn’t make herself continue.

Peter hushed her and urged her to speak and she did after a moment of gathering herself. “I’d have gone with you if I lost you, Peter. If they took you from me… I’d have begged that they let me follow. I can’t live without you anymore so please don’t—Please don’t leave me.”

"Shh, don't talk like that." Peter urged her gently, wiping away the tears escaping down her cheeks but more followed in their wake. "Nothing like that is ever going to happen, I promise you." He told her softly but firmly, kissing her temple, her cheek and finally her lips trying to soothe her. Winter smiled through her tears and he returned it, releasing his grip on her but catching her hand in his knowing she would want to keep holding on to him. 

He never showed much affection, mostly because he never felt much if any of it really, but with Winter he found it natural to do so and considering his revelation in the woods earlier he figured he might as well not fight it anymore. Deaton came back into the exam room trailed by Derek, both men silently noting the pair's clasped hands and while Deaton looked less than impressed Peter was more than a little amused by the flicker of surprise on his nephew's face before he managed to mask it.

"Well I have to say I'm impressed at your moral fortitude Deaton, making yourself save my life when it would have been easy enough to just... Let me slip away." Peter said with a wry grin, it was about as close to a thank you as the druid was going to get and they both knew it. The emissary turned veterinarian nodded curtly at the elder Hale and they left shortly after with Derek walking a pace or two behind them.

They wandered over to the younger werewolf's car and Peter winced at the large bloodstains soaked into the backseat, glancing at his nephew who simply raised his dark eyebrows at him. "I can pay to have the car detailed." He offered with a little smirk, pointing at the stains and chuckling under his breath at Derek's firm confirmation that he would do precisely that.

Peter was feeling pretty much back up to 100% by the time Derek got them back out to his car at the edge of the preserve, climbing out and waiting for Winter to wander a few paces away towards his own vehicle before leaning on the driver's side window and catching his nephew's gaze. "Thank you for keeping her away." He said in a quiet whisper, shrugging slightly at Derek's look of surprise. 

"What, I'm not allowed to express gratitude or something?" He quipped with a crooked grin, but he sobered again when Derek asked him in a hushed tone if the game had finally gotten real for him, glancing over his shoulder at Winter leaning against his car several yards away.

Peter sighed, it almost pained him to admit it aloud but finally he nodded. "It has. Only for her." He murmured, straightening up again and walking away to take himself and his lover home. Seeing Winter smiling at him as he approached felt like a weight being lifted from his chest, and he wandered over to kiss her sweetly before going to the driver's side and getting in himself.

They got back to his place just as the sun was starting to come up, Peter started stripping off his torn and bloodstained clothes the second he got in the door. He wanted to get the smell of those curs' blood off him as quickly as possible, and he put everything he was wearing directly in the garbage rather than trying to salvage anything. He could feel Winter's gaze on him the whole time he was peeling his soiled clothes off, smiling a bit to himself when her arms wrapped around his middle and her cheek pressed to his back.

"Careful, you'll get dirty." Peter advised softly, most of the blood and dirt stuck to him was dry but still he figured he would warn her. Winter murmured that she didn't care, slipping around to face him after a moment, her eyes moist with tears once more. The werewolf's features soften and he cupped her face despite his filthy hand, "No more tears. It's over now." He soothed, leaning forward to kiss her brow.

Winter closed her eyes at Peter’s soft kiss to her brow, her fingers curling at his sides, urging him closer to her by his hips. She nodded her understanding, trying her hardest to keep from crying anymore but it was hard, the thought of losing the only person she felt she had in her life, the only person that mattered to her. “Peter why would you do something so stupid?” She whispered half angry, half laughing at the idea that he would have set up such a scheme on her behalf.

He shook his head, claiming he only wanted to protect her, that the thought of those men, what they did to her and her friend… He couldn’t let them continue on their path. She burrowed her face into his chest despite that he smelt of the others, wolfsbane, sweat and blood. She wrinkled her nose, “That stuff’s gross.” She muttered, “I thought it really did a number on wolves… kill them even.”

Peter sighed when she asked him further how he had managed to inhale so much of it and still be breathing now especially when the smell of the dust alone affected her even. He explained what he had been doing to build up somewhat of an immunity to a large dose of the stuff and she laughed. “You’re crazy. Here I thought I found the nice boy next door type and you’re shooting up wolfsbane, something meant to kill you. All so you can build grenades specially enhanced with the stuff to… take out a pack that isn’t even looking for you.” She shook her head at him, “Did I mention that you’re stupid?” She laughed, kissing his chest softly until he bent to meet her lips.

She wanted to climb in his arms, to curl up with him and never let go again but she feared hurting him once more. He must have noted it with the way she was standing into his frame, fiddling with his fingers because he let her hand go and grunted softly as he grabbed her hips and hoisted her up into his arms. She nuzzled into his neck, wrapping herself around his larger frame and feeling him start to walk. “Please tell me you’re heading to the bathroom because you don’t smell very good.” She whispered, making him laugh and he soon turned the corner, setting her on the counter so he could turn the water on and getting it warming up.

The leopard reached out and gestured for him to come closer, helping him out of his belt and jeans, pushing his briefs down too and smiling up at him happily. She lifted her arms for him to do the same to her, the pair undressing each other slowly and absently kissing naked until the bathroom was filling with steam more and more. She leapt off the counter and took his hand, lacing their fingers and leading the way into the stream of water.

He stepped in beside her and she smiled as she grabbed the soap, gesturing with her finger for him to turn around and she started cleaning his back and shoulders, humming to him soothingly. Peter rinsed and she soon began on his front when he faced her again, washing him down completely and shampooing his hair that had been previously matted with blood and dirt, letting it run clean. Peter groaned every time their bodies drew close to one another, making her giggle when he finally pinned her to the shower wall. “I’m not done.” She scolded, dropping the wash cloth when he ordered her to and his kisses… they were far more dominating and not in the sense they might normally be when they got a little over heated but more that he was claiming her, reminding her whose she was.

Winter mewled and arched her lower half into his frame, “Peter.” She whispered, voice full of need but he hardly let her up for air, let along long enough for her to speak, his hands firm on her face and chest, keeping her pinned back against the wall as he devoured her until she was trembling with her increased desire. “Please, baby.” She pleaded, her eyes closed, letting him do as he pleased, giving herself over to the man before her, crying out suddenly when his hand wandered between her legs, caressing her core and working her up in the way only he knew how to, while his free hand kept her chin up to look at him as he worked her.

 

Peter had always been the jealous, possessive type, always keeping everything he had close to his chest and begrudging anyone who might try to take from him what was his whether it was a material item or in this case his lover. Finally being able to put faces to the tormentors Winter had told him about, extinguishing their lives for daring to come after her only intensified his need to claim her as his own.

The werewolf kept a firm grip on Winter's jaw, not hard enough to hurt but just enough to ensure that she look him in the eye as he worked her up with his opposite hand, he wanted her to know it as well, understand down to her marrow that he saw her as his. His eyes flared bright steel blue and he growled low in his chest as she whimpered to him, her hips bucking on his hand, her eyes starting to screw shut as her climax neared and he gripped her harder to reclaim her attention.

"Look at me Winter. Let me see your eyes when you come." He ordered in a deep harsh whisper, grinning with feral pleasure as their eyes met again. The brunette shook and gripped onto his arm held up to her face, using him as a support as she came hard around his digits and seeing the pleasure unfurl on her face nearly sent him over the edge as well. He slackened his pace with his fingers, letting her come down from her first high but she followed him forward when he stepped back, draping her arms around him and pleading for more.

Peter smiled and wrapped his arms around her under the streaming water, kissing her with contrasting sweetness to his adamant demands earlier. "Of course, kitten. We're just getting started." He murmured, sliding his hands down her slick skin to cup her pert ass and easily lifting her off her feet. He braced her against the shower wall and kissed her hard and rough, grinding his thick arousal against her still sensitive center making both of them moan at the friction between them.

Winter gripped him tighter, begging him to take her, to come inside her and in the heat of the moment Peter gave no thought to anything but fulfilling her demands, thrusting up into her tight heat and grunting her name as he buried himself over and over in her body. The brunette cried out and her back bowed away from the shower wall, writhing in pleasure and Peter could feel his claws extending as his control faltered but with the sounds she was making and how good she felt tightening around him he couldn't calm himself enough to retract them.

Peter drove into her hard and fast, kissing and biting at her throat and the water at their feet clouded slightly red with both of them sinking their claws into each other, claiming one another and even though no scars would remain each of them knew their bond was deeper now, they carried each other's mark. Winter screamed his name as she came but he didn't slow down until she finally carried him with her on her third orgasm and he pushed deeply into her, coming with a ragged curse and feeling their mingled pleasure running down his thighs only to get rinsed away by the water.

Peter sighed roughly as his climax ebbed, staying connected to her a moment more catching her glassy gaze with his own, "Winter, the reason I did all those things... I did them because I love you. You make me feel... Whole." He whispered just above the hiss of the running water, kissing her languidly when she seemed at a loss for words. "I love you." He murmured again as their lips parted, tipping his brow to hers with a little smile. 

Winter was just coming down from her high, her vision blurring in and out from the pleasure he lover could bring her so easily. She hung onto him, panting raggedly with her arms draped around his shoulders, barely catching what Peter said to her at first. She thought for a moment that perhaps she had made it up in her mind, or maybe she blacked out somewhere along the way going to find Peter and now she was dreaming of him saying such sweet things to her.

She started to speak, muttering his name but thinking of nothing more that she could say before he started kissing her languidly, making her mewl and arch into him once more. His brow rested to hers and she cupped his face and neck in her small hands, laughing almost in disbelief as he said those three words again. “I love you too, Peter.” She whispered, her body relaxing, nuzzling into him happily as her eyes welled with tears though this time they were out of pure joy. “I love you so much.” She confirmed, feeling him shift and pull out of her, turning off the water.

The leopard had no reason to towel off, no reason to dress once more all she wanted was him to take her to bed again, smiling when he clearly had the same idea in his mind. Peter carried her out of the bathroom and laid her down with a smile on his face, one she was certain that even she hadn’t seen. She rubbed his neck and shoulders affectionately, enjoying the simple closeness of their bodies, the light touches they offered one another.

“You know that doesn’t mean I support you going into a murderous rage on my behalf.” The brunette laughed, purring happily in her throat as his hands ran over her sides and he settled between her legs. Peter laughed and said he didn’t need support, being in love with her just meant he had a reason now. She rolled her eyes at him until he playfully nuzzled and mouthed at her throat, sending a shudder through her body as the sensation tickled her flesh. “Maybe. Thank you for being my hero, Peter. For risking yourself to stop them from coming after me… I’d have fought by your side, you know.” She informed him with a hum.

“I’ll always fight by your side. I’m sorry I ever doubted you before; I was confused why you would keep things from me but I understand.” She smiled, kissing him slowly. “Just don’t do anything stupid ever again. Promise me.” She urged, laughing when Peter hummed in thought, seeming to be considering that swear. “Peter Hale!” She nudged his chest, “Promise me at least that if you do anything stupid you’ll tell me first.” She ordered.


	11. Chapter 11

Over the next few weeks Peter found he was less inclined to further his plans to increase his power and go searching for the Desert Wolf. They still weighed heavily on his mind, but somehow things like showing Winter more about living in the world among people and spending time making her happy kept edging out any legwork he might've planned to do originally.

He did have one little issue that needed resolved sooner than later however. Now that he had Winter, Peter felt secure in disposing of his volatile unintentionally created beta Kate Argent. The woman was more trouble than she was worth and he'd known that from the start when he included her in his plans, but now he could actually afford to get rid of her.

But of course the second he finally decided he could get rid of her, the little bitch was nowhere to be found. They had been meeting fairly regularly up until the last month or so, but now he couldn't find a trace of her and from what he managed to glean from his nephew neither Derek or Chris Argent had a clue to her whereabouts either.

Peter came home from another no-show meeting, coiled tightly like a spring from the unresolved energy he would've employed ripping Kate's throat out for good this time but he made himself calm down before getting out of his car and going inside knowing Winter would likely be waiting for him by the door like she always did whenever he left even for short amounts of time.

Just as he thought the leopard was standing just in front of the door when he opened it, and no matter how frustrated he was by the whole Kate situation he couldn't help but smile at the brunette when she greeted him with an enthusiastic kiss. He returned the contact eagerly, wrapping one arm around her to keep her trapped against his frame. His brow furrowed a bit as they kissed, there was... Something different about her scent but he couldn't quite place it. It was so slight that it couldn't be anything as simple as a different perfume or the like, but it kept tugging at his mind, feeling familiar and yet unknown.

"How was your evening sweetheart?" Peter asked when they broke apart, keeping her close and subtly breathing in her scent deeply, trying to figure out what was different about her. She looked the same, acted the same but the discrepancy was going to drive him crazy till he could place it. 

 

"We'll see. I might not get the chance you know, I like to plan things out but sometimes one has to improvise." Peter chuckled in response, kissing his lover deeply to discourage further conversation and distracting her further with his hands and body starting to wind her up again towards that release they both craved and couldn't get enough of. 

\---  
Over the next few weeks Peter found he was less inclined to further his plans to increase his power and go searching for the Desert Wolf. They still weighed heavily on his mind, but somehow things like showing Winter more about living in the world among people and spending time making her happy kept edging out any legwork he might've planned to do originally.

He did have one little issue that needed resolved sooner than later however. Now that he had Winter, Peter felt secure in disposing of his volatile unintentionally created beta Kate Argent. The woman was more trouble than she was worth and he'd known that from the start when he included her in his plans, but now he could actually afford to get rid of her.

But of course the second he finally decided he could get rid of her, the little bitch was nowhere to be found. They had been meeting fairly regularly up until the last month or so, but now he couldn't find a trace of her and from what he managed to glean from his nephew neither Derek or Chris Argent had a clue to her whereabouts either.

Peter came home from another no-show meeting, coiled tightly like a spring from the unresolved energy he would've employed ripping Kate's throat out for good this time but he made himself calm down before getting out of his car and going inside knowing Winter would likely be waiting for him by the door like she always did whenever he left even for short amounts of time.

Just as he thought the leopard was standing just in front of the door when he opened it, and no matter how frustrated he was by the whole Kate situation he couldn't help but smile at the brunette when she greeted him with an enthusiastic kiss. He returned the contact eagerly, wrapping one arm around her to keep her trapped against his frame. His brow furrowed a bit as they kissed, there was... Something different about her scent but he couldn't quite place it. It was so slight that it couldn't be anything as simple as a different perfume or the like, but it kept tugging at his mind, feeling familiar and yet unknown.

"How was your evening sweetheart?" Peter asked when they broke apart, keeping her close and subtly breathing in her scent deeply, trying to figure out what was different about her. She looked the same, acted the same but the discrepancy was going to drive him crazy till he could place it. 

Winter always waited for Peter to come back home, usually she sat in the front room and listened for him coming up the steps and she almost always heard him coming. She missed him when he was gone, whether he cared or not, sometimes she wondered if her attachment might prove to be annoying but so far every day he returned he never said a thing about the fact that she was lingering right in the entryway for him.

She bounced on the balls of her feet when he came in, smiling at him, filled with bottled up energy from being in the house most the day. She kissed him back, letting him hold onto her all he wanted when he closed their front door behind him. Her hands resting palm down over his chest, feeling his heart beating against her thumbs. “It was quiet. I used to like that but not so much anymore, quiet means that you’re gone. I listened to music and I went to the store. I wanted Lucky Charms.” She answered, resisting the urge to tell him more about her day.

“How was yours?” The were hummed, picking at the collar of his shirt while he answered that it was fine but not all he hoped it would be. Her brow furrowed a bit, wondering if she should ask what exactly that meant but she opted against it, not wanting to argue should it turn into something else. “I got your cereal too. I wasn’t sure if you ate but I wanted cereal… breakfast for dinner.” She said, tapping her fingers on his collarbone as she remembered to inform him just a little further.

“Oh! I have to talk to you about something exciting. I think it’ll make your night a lot better. Want to see now or after you eat? Because it might be a little distracting if you pick now… I have a feeling you won’t be able to eat you’ll be too antsy.” Winter said, giggling a bit and Peter arched his brow at her, his hands running along her frame as he answered in a low tone that he wanted it now. She nodded, not catching the sound of want in his voice she was too far gone in her own thoughts. “Go sit down. I’ll be right back.”

Her lover complied and she heard him walking to drop down on the sofa while he waited for her. She was gone only a few minutes, scampering back with her hands behind her back and noting this time that Peter had a look of confusion on his face, asking how come she was still in her sweats. “It’s not that kind of surprise.” She rolled her eyes, showing him what she had as she joined him on the sofa, a small white stick with the cap on the very end for sanitation. She placed it in his grasp, watching him from the other end of the couch as he processed it.

It took him longer than she hoped and finally he asked her quietly… frighteningly quiet—what it was. “Here.” She handed the little instruction packet that explained what the tiny plus sign meant. “The lady at the pharmacy helped me. She even gave me vitamins I’m supposed to take and stuff for nausea but I don’t think that wereleopards need it.” She shrugged, “Don’t worry I used the money you gave me for dinner. I didn’t steal them.”

Peter stayed still, his eyes never leaving the object until he crumpled up the paper in his hand and tossed it aside, asking her very directly if it was hers. “Yeah. It’s mine! Isn’t it great? You just pee on it and it tells you… like the pregnancy eight ball.” She laughed, quoting the pharmacist who helped her. Winter got up onto her knees when he stood, perching herself in front of him and again he was silent. “Peter?” She prompted, still smiling and trying to keep it that way. Maybe he just didn’t understand.

She reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling it to her belly and standing up to be more level with him. “The positive means that I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a baby!” She informed him happily, keeping his palm pressed to her middle, brow furrowing when he didn’t get as excited as she was. “It’s great! We’ll have a baby together. We’ll make the guest room into a nursery and together we’ll teach them to control the shift when they get older… they can go to school. I loved school. Or I could teach them all I know now from home? Lydia can help, she’s smart! And Malia will be a big sister! Maybe she’ll come be a part of the family and you and I can get married like other couples do. Isn’t that perfect Peter?” She prompted further, her eyes welling up but she couldn’t tell if it was excitement and joy anymore or fear that he was so quiet and still.

All of Peter's thought processes lurched to a halt the second Winter handed him the pregnancy test. He immediately damned himself for the few times he'd gone against his better instincts, letting Winter goad him into taking the risk when he knew in the back of his mind what the consequences could be. His system flooded with adrenaline as he contemplated just how much he'd screwed up and he shot up out of his seat, hearing Winter keep speaking to him but not sharing even an ounce of her excitement and happiness with the news.

"Perfect?" Peter echoed in a stilted scoff, craning his head down to look at her finally and slowly tugging his hand away from her middle. "No, thingswere perfect, and now..." His voice trailed off as he shook his head and struggled to remain calm despite the genuine panic rising in his chest. "This can't happen." He uttered finally, running both his hands over his hair and starting to pace back and forth in front of the couch, his mind going from a full stop at her revelation to spinning a thousand miles an hour trying to come up with a solution to this problem that wouldn't cost him Winter in the process.

Winter asked him what he meant, reiterating that it was happening, that she was pregnant and there wasn't exactly any taking it back. She reached out and lightly gripped his arm, trying to get him to be still and soothing him, assuring him that everything was going to be fine and that this was happy news.

"No Winter, this is anything but happy news. You need to abandon this fairy tale idea you have in your head where we bring a child into this word and I magically have the capacity to care for it properly, Malia suddenly forgets that she hates me and we all live as a happy little family behind a white picket fence. It simply is not going to happen." Peter snapped, trying to stay calm but it was difficult.

"I've told you before, I'm not built for the provincial life. I'm Malia's father in name only, and that's never going to change. I shouldn't have allowed her to happen in the first place, just like I shouldn't have allowed this to occur. I don't have my memories from before but apparently this is a trend with me." Peter rolled his eyes and gestured at her with his hands, fighting the urge to laugh bitterly since he could see how deeply his reaction was hurting the woman he loved. 

Winter started to tearfully argue with him that he didn't mean what he said, that she herself was proof that he was capable of the kind of love needed to be a father and Peter finally did laugh at that, cutting her off curtly with a wave of his hand.

"Are you kidding me? Do you not recall how literally everyone else who knows me either despises or at best barely tolerates me? But that isn't the problem, no the problem is that I literally do not give a damn what they think of me and what I do. I've spent my life looking after my own needs first, regardless of what others might require and you my dear are the onlyexception to that rule. I had all but a fraction of my heart burned out of me sweetheart, it's a miracle that I was able to love one person, and even if there's the tiniest chance that I'm capable of more I refuse to try because the cost is too great." Peter said coldly, talking over Winter when she tried to respond.

"I can't afford to feel anything for anyone else apart from you. If anything happened to you it would destroy me utterly, and I'm not about to broaden that risk pool to include a completely helpless, innocent life that I myself would pose the biggest threat to just by being around it. This can't happen Winter. It's not going to." Peter told her sternly, fighting the urge to give in to the knife twisting in his heart at the way she was looking at him.

 

“But Peter you—you’ve taken care of me every day since you found me. I’m proof that you’re capable of love… that you’re kind and caring enough to be a father and an amazing one at that. Baby I know you could be.” Winter said, trying her best to keep from completely breaking down, her heart was racing a thousand beats a minute and the more he spoke the more worried she became. She shook her head when he cut her off and continued on his tangent about those who barely could tolerate him, how she was the only exception to his rule of having no one in his life to concern himself with.

“I-It’s not. There has to be more—“ She started, tears soaking her cheeks as she blinked out a few tears when he blatantly spoke above her, keeping her from arguing with him. She almost didn’t want him to see the way he affected her at all, hanging her head to wipe under her eyes, hating the streaks of makeup it left behind. She hated the stupid stuff to begin with and now it was making it harder for her to hide what was going on in her mind. Her gaze flickered up to meet his eyes when he finally looked at her directly, her brow coming together and anger flaring in her eyes.

She breathed heavy through her nose, trying to calm herself down just a bit so she could talk. “The fact is that this is happening and—“ He cut her off again and she screamed at him, “Dammit Peter! God, can you shut up for five fuckin’ minutes because I’m about another sentence away from clawing your eyes out!” She hissed, her chest heavy with her rising temper. There were few times he had even seen her upset to this extent or even half of it but when Winter was done she was done and right now it was her turn to speak.

“The fact is that this is all happening. This baby is happening because it’s inside of that woman you claim that you love.” She glared at him, almost daring him to speak over her again but he stayed still, fists at his sides, listening to what she had to say. “That innocent life you want so badly to save by denying it at all is growing inside of me. By ignoring the situation and coming back at me like that you’re just—you’re ‘utterly destroying me’. You have no clue if you’re capable because you won’t even try. You didn’t give up on me, you did everything you could to give Malia a good home and a family and I know that you love her, you’re bullshitting yourself if you think that you don’t because I see how it upsets you when she’s with Stiles, how hurt you are when she won’t even address you at all. You’re just—“

Winter shook her head, trying to think of what to say and when at first she couldn’t, Peter spoke up once more, telling her circumstances were different, that if he were to choose he’d give this one up to, he’d take back them making love like they had in place of something safer. “Well the Peter that I fell in love with would fight for anything he wanted. That Peter would keep hope for me and his child to be okay, to learn all these things and be able to stand up for ourselves. You took care of me for so long, you can do this. You’re scaring yourself out of something good.” She insisted, flinching when he told her harshly that he wasn’t scaring himself at all, he just knew how he was, mentioning how he had played her in the very start.

The young brunette’s fingers curled over her middle, protective of their unborn child already and she scoffed at him. “Then if my love is gone I have no reason to be here. What do they call men like you? Dead-beat dads… Sperm donors…” She glared at him, backpedaling when he got closer to her. Her eyes flashed blue, glowing in the light of the evening, “Do not touch me. This child is happening whether you want them or not. I promise you I won’t ever make you see them, not once. I’ll spare you the pain of it all.” She mocked, hissing the words through her teeth and rushing past him to go up the stairs as he called for her.

She could hear his heavy foot falls, racing after her and asking what she was doing until he found her bent in the guestroom and pulling out her old duffle bag. It’d been in there since the first night, opened once then never again when Peter bought her all new things, let her borrow his clothes… She hated the memory already, leaving a bad taste as she tore off the throw blanket from the top of the mattress. The werewolf startled her, her tears drenching the front of her shirt as she no longer was able to keep them in anymore, crying silently as he asked her where she thought she was going.

The brunette kept her stern face as best as she could, shoulders up and back and chin high, like he taught her to show as much confidence as possible. “I’m going to continue my travels South… or maybe back up North. I don’t know I haven’t decided yet. Maybe I’ll disappear into Mexico or return to Canada, what do you care anyways? You made your choice. Your love has ran out for me, clearly. I’ve been given a child and you can’t even accept it, you can’t even talk to me about it like a person. You’re—“ She blinked rapidly, rubbing at her eyes and clenching her teeth as old memories haunted her. “This is what they would do. The only difference is I’m not afraid you won’t let me leave.”

Peter stared at her, letting her pass rather easily much to her surprise and she hauled the blanket and duffle with her to the front room, picking up her shoes but not bothering to put them on. “Good bye Peter.” She whispered, turning when he asked her to wait and for a moment she felt hopeful, looking up at him and waiting. He tugged out his wallet, offering her one of his credit cards and promising to keep money on it, willing her to use it to at least care for them both. “You’re not even going to—Wow you won’t ask me to stay? Peter I don’t want your stupid money! I don’t need to fear that I’m leaving a trail for you to follow! I don’t want a piece of work like you around my child!!” She yelled at him, taking the card and slicing her own claw through it for emphasis, tossing the pieces at his feet. “We’ll be better off without any piece of you. If I can’t have the whole cake then I don’t want a single sliver. Save your precious money.”

“I can take care of us just like I took care of myself. It’ll be no different, we’ll just pretend we never happened. Next time get your pets fixed okay?” She quipped, wiping her nose with her sleeve and yanking the door opened, heading out with nothing more to say except a final good bye, refusing to look back at him.


	12. Chapter 12

Peter stared at the door for several moments after Winter slammed it shut, rage, fear and remorse making his whole body shake and blood dripped down from his hands where his claws were digging deeply into his palms. In a matter of a handful of minutes his whole world had been flipped on it's head, but there was a fairly large part of him that didn't quite accept what had happened, that was sure Winter would come back in a few hours or so after she cooled off. She had to see reason, if nothing else she would come back for more of her things, and he could try again in a calmer frame of mind to persuade her that his way of giving up the baby was the only way for them. For him.

Minutes turned into hours, Peter cleaned up his hands and the floor, methodically made himself some dinner though the whole time his mind was occupied with the words they'd said and second-guessing if he should've immediately gone after her or let her leave. He cleaned up his dinner dishes which turned into him thoroughly scrubbing every inch of the kitchen till it sparkled, needing something to keep his hands busy or he might risk tearing something up out of nervous energy.

The hour grew later and Peter kept going back and forth within his mind, wondering if he ought to go after her, if that was what she wanted, but never doubting for a second that they needed to reach an understanding that resulted in them not keeping the baby, he still knew beyond any doubt that he was not father material and that it wouldn't be fair to Winter or the child for him to play pretend at it until his inevitable backslide.

At about midnight it started to rain, and Peter started to feel like his lover was being ridiculous. Sure she had every right to be upset about this, but there was no sense in her sitting out in the woods all night getting soaked and chilled to the bone. Finally Peter pulled on his coat and hurried out to his car, driving in the rain to the edge of the preserve. He jogged through the woods with his hand up to shield his eyes from the driving rain, calling the leopard's name when he got deeper into the area where she tended to roam when she came out here.

There was no sign of her in her old den, or any of the surrounding woods, and for the first time it really sank in that she was gone. Winter wasn't just out here blowing off steam, she was gone and she wasn't planning on coming back. Peter stood stock still in the pouring rain, his chest heaving from his labored breathing. He wasn't thinking of his plans that he'd worked Winter's specific skills into, it didn't even cross his mind that most of his machinations would fall apart without her power. Right now all he could focus on was that she was gone, that she would be living rough in the wild on her own carrying a child no less. She left him. She had reallyleft him...

Peter drove back to his house, stone silent and tightly coiled like a spring about to snap. He was angry, angry that she would choose a few little cells they hadn't even intended on creating over him, angry with himself for not immediately pursuing her, and most of all angry with himself that he couldn't be what she apparently needed him to be. The werewolf walked into his neatly kept little townhouse, leaving puddles in his wake and every trace of Winter in his place stood out to him like an eyesore, reminding him that she was gone and he was the reason.

His claws flicked out and a raw, hateful roar ripped its way out of him, his eyes flaring blue and the next moments blurred together as he vented his anger and hurt on everything within reach: furniture, books, the walls and everything on them from the stylized modern art pieces he had to his flat screen tv. He tore through the entire ground level of his place until there was nearly nothing left that wasn't bashed apart or sliced to ribbons, finally kneeling down at the base of the stairs panting and spotted with blood where a few items he'd smashed had fought back.

Derek hadn’t heard from Peter in what felt like weeks, perhaps because the man was so used to hearing from his uncle, receiving unwelcomed visits or texts or calls from him that when he didn’t stop by on a nearly daily basis it seemed odd. He was surprised to find himself actually… worried about Peter for likely the first time in his life. He dialed up the elder Hale’s number and it rang again and again but no answer, tried once more, twice and then the third time he opted for simply leaving a message.

“Peter. It’s Derek.” He began, his brow knitted together, focusing as if he might be able to sense the man’s whereabouts through the phone somehow. “We were supposed to meet this morning, guess you forgot.” He quipped, thinking of what else to say. He didn’t exactly want to sound like he was concerned for his uncle, should it turn out to be nothing. So he simply opted for hanging up, leaving it at that and nothing more.

By late evening when Derek hadn’t gotten any sort of response, he made his choice, packed himself into his car and drove over to Peter’s townhouse. He knocked on the door but it was dark except towards the kitchen in the back. When again he got nothing he let himself in, the door unlocked, proving that Peter either wanted to fight off an intruder or simply never cared to protect his assets. The latter seemed unlikely.

His hazel eyes flickered over the front room, torn to pieces, drops of blood along the plush typically cleaned carpet. “Peter?!” His voice raised now, fearing that without his wolf abilities he might not be able take down anyone who had done all this. Maybe they’d taken Peter and what about Winter, his eyes casting over the remainder of the room finding no trace of either until he heard footsteps. He kept half hidden in the kitchen doorway, looking up the end of the steps and then when the light cast across the form he saw Peter, still bloodied and in clothes that looked like he’d been wearing for weeks.

He stepped out at the sound of his uncle telling him to shut up, “God you reek.” Derek wrinkled his nose, knowing that if it was this bad now it’d have been ten times worse with his powers back. “When’s the last time you took a shower? And more importantly what the Hell happened to the first floor? It looks like World War III happened in here.” He stated, covering his nostrils in part to avoid the smell of Peter’s rotten clothing.

The man said nothing, not even looking at his nephew as his fists clenched tightly, clearly remembering why it was like this. “Where’s Winter? Did—Did somebody take her?” He asked, stepping closer and fearing the worst for the young were. “Peter I need you to tell me… Did you kill her?” Derek flinched as his Uncle whirled around, roared at him and swiped at his chest with his clawed hand, sending him stumbling into the counter.

He nearly fell over, gathering himself and raising his hands opened for him despite the pain he felt from being hit. “I just want to make sure she’s okay—Peter where is she?” He said again and the glowing in his uncle’s eyes suddenly flickered out, reverting to normal as he lowly stated that his lover had taken off on him, abandoned him. Derek’s brow rose, not entirely believing that to be the case, Winter didn’t seem the type to just leave people without reason. “Well, we have to go look for her… what do you mean she left you?”

"I mean she left me Derek. She's gone. As in flew the coop, took the midnight train." Peter snapped, trying to bed down his anger but it was difficult when he only had himself to blame for the pain he was in now. Peter stalked away from his nephew barely registering the mess around him as he left the kitchen and went to sit on the bottom of the stairs. Derek followed a moment later, prodding him further for more details about why Winter had left and where she was going.

"She left because she let a ridiculous sentiment cloud her judgement. How should I know where she went? Does it look like I've been outside these walls? Besides it's useless, the rain would've obliterated her scent by now. I'd probably have to hire a professional by now, your little girlfriend maybe?" Peter sneered, a mocking smile playing at his lips as he glanced up at Derek. 

"It doesn't matter anymore Derek. None of it does. She's gone, it's over." Peter added, leaning back with his hands threaded behind his head on the stairs and staring up at the ceiling fan spinning a bit off kilter considering he had managed to break off two of the blades in his fit of rage. It amazed him that in the space of a few days Peter had basically abandoned everything he'd been working towards for the past couple years, all because Winter had left him. It was like he'd said, it just didn't matter to him anymore, any of it.

Derek seemed less than impressed by his apathy, calling it an act and demanding a straight answer from the elder Hale which prompted a dry hollow laugh from Peter. "You see this is exactly why I should never have allowed myself to fall in love with her. The second I genuinely care for something or someone, it blows up in my face. This is exactly why I told her I couldn't afford to let anyone else in, just one made me weak enough. Hell you could probably kill me right now if you wanted. Go ahead, take a free shot if you like." Peter tipped his head on the edge of the stair it rested on to look at Derek, waving his hand over his own prone frame for emphasis.

Derek's brow furrowed in confusion and he questioned what he meant by letting anyone else in, ignoring Peter's baiting for the moment. Peter looked away from his nephew again, shaking his head and sighing, "So stupid. I knew better and I let it happen anyway. Who knows how long she'll last out there on her own in her condition?" Peter mused, basically ignoring Derek's question as he broke a little bit more thinking about Winter struggling to survive with the burden of a life growing inside her.

"I tried to make her see reason, and she left me. She didn't even bother to take anything besides a blanket of all things. Wouldn't accept my money, wouldn't accept that just because I can't be the sort of father she pictured in her little fantasy world doesn't mean I couldn't at least help her raise the little thing from distance if she insisted on keeping it." Peter rambled on, continuing to talk over Derek's exclamation of him labeling himself a father.

“A father?” Derek questioned in disbelief, arching his brows at his uncle lying on the stairs in front of him. Technically speaking he already was a father but with how the older man was talking he knew what he was getting to by now. Fathering Winter’s child… “So by ‘condition’, you mean that she’s pregnant and you just let her take a single blanket and leave on her own?”

“Peter!” He kicked the man’s foot when he said nothing, making him answer with a hissed ‘yes’, claiming she had more so forced him to let her go when she couldn’t see reason and understand how incapable he was of being a father. “We all know you’re incapable. It’s why you gave Malia up but—God Peter you can’t just let her run off like that. Did you even try to stop her? Did you even consider that her hormones are probably out of whack right now and you virtually just abandoned her?!” He rattled on, making the older of the two roll his eyes as if he was talking so ridiculous he couldn’t even focus but he spat out that he had, he considered everything he had just said and then some.

“And you still let her go? I knew you were dumb and selfish but I had no idea it went that far. You’re really going to let her just vanish like that? We have to look for her. You might not want that kid but I know you want her and I know you want her safe. You’ve sat here for how long now, twiddling your thumbs and throwing tantrums rather than sending out a search party? We could have helped you.” He exclaimed harshly, shaking his head in full disbelief that Peter could even manage something so stupid, so harsh as letting his pregnant love take off on him at all. “Get up.” He kicked at him again and grabbed his arm, yanking him as best he could. “You’re taking a shower and we’re going to look for her starting now. I don’t care what time it is.” He ordered.


	13. Chapter 13

Over a year of this mess, camping in the woods wasn’t nearly as simple as it had been when now she had her soon to be three month old to worry about. It wasn’t far in when she had discovered soup kitchens, too large to shift anymore for hunting and not exactly comfortable with doing so either. Homeless shelters down south helped her a lot from time to time, families from churches in the area giving her a place to stay even if only a night or two. She never felt safe enough anywhere with her baby, never liked relying on others so she never stayed anywhere long enough for her face to be known or her child to get taken away from her.

“Livi—Shh. Please, I know it’s cold but I swear it’s not much further.” Winter soothed to her newborn, tugging down the little cap she wore over her tiny head and adjusting her blanket for cover. She put her hand against the infant’s back and took off at a run with her daughter Olivia swaddled to her front, hoping to get out of the woods faster, the trees and the growing darkness hardly helped with comfort for her crying daughter, feeling her spit out her pacifier for at least the tenth time since they started their way back towards Beacon Hills from the beaches of Southern California. “Olivia Hale, why do you choose the worst times to misbehave?” She half laughed, sighing as she slowed down to a steady jog, hoping it would lull her baby to sleep as she offered her pacifier to her one final time.

She didn’t have many things, most of her stuff had been replaced with what Olivia needed and Winter was just fine sacrificing to make sure her daughter was well off at least. The leopard wiped the tears that formed in her eyes, taking deep breaths as yet again she thought of how similar Olivia was to her father in temperament. Her gaze flickered up as not much longer after she spotted the line of trees, smiling as she ran a little faster and soon found Derek’s building. “Almost there, sweetie.” She cooed again.

Winter got to the elevator, took it up to Derek’s door and knocked frantically on it. “Derek.” She called softly, hoping he was home, listening at his door for signs of movement.

Derek was reclined comfortably on his bed in the quiet seclusion of his home reading. It had been awhile since he’d been able to relax at home like this and he was enjoying it while he could, especially since he was planning on leaving to go visit his little sister in Brazil in the morning. He was looking forward to seeing Cora after nearly two years, but he wasn’t exactly looking forward to traveling with his uncle Peter who he was basically dragging along for his own good. Peter had only just recently given up the search for his former lover Winter, and while Derek thought it was for the best that he accept she was gone from his life for good, he didn’t like that the older werewolf had reverted to holing himself up in his home and not communicating with anyone. 

Derek got the feeling that if he left his uncle alone to brood for too long, he’d turn back to his darker agenda from the past and the last thing he wanted was to have to fight one of the few family members he had left. Derek’s powers had been restored for awhile now so he felt confident in the outcome, but that didn’t mean he wanted the clash to happen. That was why at six thirty tomorrow morning, the younger Hale was picking up the older one and the two men were going to drive to LA then fly nonstop to the Brazilian coast. Hopefully getting out of Beacon Hills, getting some fresh air would do his uncle some good.

His security alarm blared suddenly and the werewolf was up off his bed like a shot, going to silence it douse the lights in his loft, staring intently at the door for any signs of his would-be intruder. His keen senses picked up the sound footsteps coming up to his door and he neared it cautiously, experience a harsh teacher that had trained him to treat the unknown as a threat until proven otherwise. A soft wrapping on his door made the dark haired man cock his head curiously, and he padded silently to the door but was still poised to fight if needed as he slid the heavy metal barrier aside.

Derek’s eyes widened with shock as the last person he ever expected to see came into view. “Winter?” He exclaimed, looking her up and down and noting first and foremost that the dark haired woman had a tiny baby swaddled securely against her chest with a cloth sling. Peter’s baby. The leopard asked in a small voice if they could come in, and Derek nodded as he backed up enough to let her pass and slid his door shut once more. He crossed the room to turn his lights back on, struggling to get his thoughts collected enough to speak in the wake of his unlikely visitor’s arrival.

“What are you doing here? We thought you were... Does Peter know you’re here?” Derek asked quietly, approaching the woman slowly with his hands up and open in case she took his advance as a threat. She murmured that his uncle didn’t know and couldn’t know under any circumstances that she was here, making Derek’s features fall into a worried frown as he lightly pressed his palm to her back to lead her to his couch. He got Winter settled and stole a peek at the baby wrapped against her front, immediately recognizing the clear shade of blue of the little girl’s eyes that matched his uncles exactly.

“You feel freezing. Here put this on and let me get you something hot to drink.” Derek leaned across her to grab the throw blanket he had folded on the back of the sofa, shaking it out and pulling it around Winter’s shoulders before getting up and going the open kitchen area across the room to get some water boiling for tea. He wasn’t sure at all how to handle this, but if nothing else he recognized that Winter was cold, tired and likely hungry, so if nothing else he could address those immediate concerns while he tried to come up with a plan for dealing with the fact that she was here in the first place.

“I’m okay.” Winter tried to assure Derek when he fused over her being cold to the touch though really she hadn’t noticed how she was shivering. She smiled at him a little, accepting the blanket and settling herself onto his sofa. She thanked him softly for even offering her fix her tea, her eyes welling a bit, she almost forgot the comforts of a roof considering the last few days had been rather rough. She undid the sling around her frame and used Olivia’s blanket to swaddle her tiny body, kissing her nose that was reddened at the tip from cold.

The infant hardly stirred, likely drifting off comfortably now that she had a warm place to stay. It in a way made the young mother feel guilty for having run off like she had but she was nothing if not determined to give Olivia the life she deserved and on her own doing rather than relying on Peter for things like she had been. She had to relearn over the last year how to be independent again and in a number of ways it felt really good.

Winter tugged her knees up, sitting sideways on the couch and resting her daughter on her chest, sharing the larger throw with her and trying to warm her little body up more than her own. “Maybe Uncle Derek will let us stay over tonight. It’s too cold for you huh?” She cooed, rubbing the girl’s back until the dark haired man came back, giving her a tight smile and she knew he was concerned just as well. She took the tea he offered her, setting it on the ground beside her to let it cool a moment or two. “We’re doing just fine.” She promised him, “It’s rocky most days but by the time she’s ten maybe she’ll have seen every state.” She laughed.

“She usually sleeps best when she’s held. It gets… tiring, to say the least.” The were admitted, brushing back Olivia’s mousy blonde hair as she took off her tiny rolled up beanie and kissed her head. Derek looked over her knee at the tiny infant and his brow furrowed curiously, asking why she was there. “Well because I can’t go to Peter and I won’t go to him when he—“ He voice got tight, taking a slow breath to ease her mind and calm her emotions. “He gave up on me that day I told him I was pregnant. I have no reason to bring her to him or myself for that matter.” She said, not missing the way Derek was fighting himself on if he should argue on his Uncle’s behalf. “You and I both know what kind of man he is.” She said simply.

They were quiet again for a moment and she enjoyed her tea, letting it warm her and Olivia stirred once more, her hand poking out of the blanket she was cuddled up it, her tiny mouth hanging opened. She brushed her finger along the baby’s cheek and she turned in her half sleepy daze, suckling her mother’s finger and making the woman smile. “I have to feed her soon but do you want to hold her? I’ve been telling her about you. I told her she had a ruggedly handsome uncle and not to let his grumpy face scare her.” She teased, laughing and smiling over at her friend who lightly squeezed her leg.

Winter sat up and scooped Olivia up at the same time, handing her over carefully and seeing that Derek knew just how to hold her without her aid. She sighed with something of relief, “Olivia Rose Hale.” She said when Derek asked her name, “I mostly call her Livi.” She smiled, watching as her daughter’s eyes opened and she stared at her uncle’s face. “I was planning on heading North again, maybe Washington but the nights are getting cold and I honestly don’t have reason… I’m just—Well we don’t have a place to call home and most days I’m okay with that but other’s I—I’m not. I thought about you and… everyone in Beacon Hills and we need a place to be for a while if you’ll have us? I know it’s a lot to ask, she’s a major crier sometimes and it can be a real pain but—we just need a bed for one night. That’s all. It doesn’t even have to be a night, I only need a couple hours and we can go I swear.” She half begged him, feeling silly for doing so but her exhaustion as a still recently new mother was setting in.

Derek's guts were twisting with a combination of sympathy and unease, he wanted to help Winter and her child certainly but he knew it wasn't exactly right of him to do so behind Peter's back like she was asking for. He understood her reasoning behind it surely, hell last year he would've agreed completely that the last thing she should do would be to let Peter know she was here with his child. 

But... That was before Derek had seen the way losing Winter had truly, deeply broken his uncle. He would never have believed the older Hale capable of such feelings of loss and desperation if he hadn't witnessed them firsthand all those months they had spent trying fruitlessly to track her down. Once they unofficially called off the search, Peter had retreated in on himself almost entirely and Derek was certain that all the remorse his uncle felt came purely from losing her, the man didn't seem to care about his old agenda any longer and that both relieved and worried the younger werewolf. Sure he didn't want Peter scheming, lying and murdering to achieve his own ends but the man needed something to give his life purpose or he was going to self-destruct. And in Derek's mind at least, he was holding that very something in his arms.

Olivia cooed and gurgled softly at him, taking his pinky finger when he offered it and suckling it lazily. The baby was much calmer now that she was warm and snug, not to mention the tiny girl could likely pick up on her mother's anxiety levels that had come down slightly having a safe harbor at least temporarily. It had been a long time since he'd held a baby, but as he discovered it wasn't the sort of thing that you forgot how to do. She was small enough that he could cradle her securely with one arm, and once she discovered that nursing his finger was doing her no good she seemed content for the moment to simply drowse with her little hands wrapped around his hand resting lightly on her front.

Derek smiled fondly down at the little girl, trying to recall from his memories of cousins, nieces and nephews along with about how long Winter had been away from Beacon Hills and guessing her to be around three or four months old. He couldn't imagine what it must've been like for Winter up till now, caring for her baby girl on her own, out in the wild for the most part he figured judging on what he knew of Winter's history.

"Of course you can stay here, but-" Derek began, looking up at Winter and speaking more quickly when her face fell at his tone, likely misinterpreting his phrasing so he quickly spoke over her when she started nervously reiterating that she didn't want Peter to know she was here, "I understand. Don't worry your secret is safe with me. I was just going to say that I'm actually planning on leaving town. Tomorrow." Derek explained, glancing over at the pair of suitcases he had standing ready to grab and go the following morning.

"My younger sister Cora is living at our family's home in Brazil, I'm actually taking Peter with me to visit her and we'll be there for about five weeks. So if you want... I mean the place is yours for as long as you like." Derek shrugged, glancing around the wide open room that comprised almost all of his living space. He could practically see the desperate want rolling off of Winter in waves as she considered what he'd told her, but she shook her head and told him she couldn't possibly stay here that long, that it was too much to ask.

"Winter," Derek murmured her name a little more firmly than before, gently extracting his hand from Olivia's grasp on it to squeeze the brunette's knee encouragingly, "Olivia is my cousin, and you're her mother which makes you family too. On that alone, I'd open my home to you for as long as you want it, such as it is." The dark haired werewolf chuckled lightly at his somewhat spartan domicile knowing his style wasn't exactly ideal for a young mother and her child. But it was still a roof over her head after all. 

"Please. I'd feel a lot better knowing you two were here. You need a break, I can see it in your face. Take this chance to get some real recuperation in. And maybe... Maybe you'll still be here when we get back." Derek insisted, hazarding a shot at asking her to make her stay here more or less permanent but not feeling surprised when she said she would only stay until they returned from their trip.

"Look Winter, believe me when I say I understand completely that you don't want to give Peter another chance. I wouldn't even suggest it if I hadn't seen for myself how much losing you has hurt him. It's like he isn't a real person anymore, he's not whole without you. We spent a long time trying to track you down, and I've seen how much he regrets not trying to convince you to stay." Derek told her quietly, handing Olivia back over to her when the young girl started to squall for her evening meal. 

"It's not my place and I won't take the choice away from you by telling him anything but, I hope you'll at least think about it." He assured her when he saw Winter's eyes fill with tears as she digested his words. She didn't answer him one way or the other, and he didn't push her to do so figuring he'd just have to wait and see if she was still here when he got back.

"Why don't you get her fed and I'll put her down for you while you get a hot shower, hmm? My aunt Sophia always loved and hated me for how easily I could get her son Connor to fall right to sleep when I watched him. You two should just share my bed since I don't really have anything that would double as a crib." Derek quickly changed the subject, not wanting to cause the woman any more stress than she was already under. Again Winter tried to protest that it wasn't right for her to take his bed and he held up his hand to silence her.

"I'll be just fine trust me. Besides I have to get up at an ungodly hour for our flight anyway so sleeping on the couch for a few hours isn't gonna hurt me." Derek smiled warmly, going to grab one pillow off his bed to use later as well as his book that he'd left open on the mattress.

Winter nodded finally when Derek kept on insisting that he was fine with her sleeping in his bed as well as letting her have his place for the time he was gone and even after that. Her eyes were still watery from hearing about Peter at all, she didn’t like thinking about him much but she had to almost daily, Olivia looked far too much like her father. She nestled the girl to her breast and aided her in latching on, absently feeding her as she listened to what Derek had to say.

She smiled when he got up, thanking him softly and nursing Olivia until she pulled away and finished up. She lifted her to her shoulder but before she even began trying to burp the infant Derek reached out and said he had it handled. “Thank you. I’ll go get showered up… umm, would you mind if I borrowed something of yours. All my clothes are dirty, most of hers are too.” She muttered, her eyes welling up and starting to spill over as she thought about how horrible that was. “But she—she has a couple clean diapers in there.” Her voice broke, watching Derek hold onto her infant daughter, cradling her in one arm and reaching out to hug Winter as well.

He kissed the top of her head and promised it was fine, promised that he would help her however she needed. The leopard hugged him back around his middle, letting him hold her for a moment until she cried herself out, nuzzling him before pulling away. “I love you, Derek. Thank you. I can’t tell you how much it means to us… I’m trying to balance all of this. I can’t help but think about how it affects her, y’know?” She asked, smiling tightly and standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Are you sure you’ve got her handled? She sometimes gets really fussy.”

Derek smiled and assured her that he had it just fine, going to get her one of his shirts and sweats for her to sleep in. She took them and let him lead her back to the bathroom to get cleaned up. The were washed off in the warm water for maybe an hour at least, coming out feeling fully refreshed for the first time in a long time. She wandered back out in Derek’s clothes, towel drying out her hair and padding to find Derek.

The house was quiet and it almost worried her, “Derek?” She called out softly, jumping slightly at the sound of his voice beside her. He smiled at her and told her Olivia was asleep, surrounded by pillows in his bed. She nodded and grinned back up at him, her eyes moistening with tears once more and he pulled her to him for a hug once more. She wrapped around him and laid her head on his chest, cuddling his frame. “Did he really look for me?” She whispered, wondering if she wanted to even hear all about it. “I left that day. When I told him, I ran because I didn’t think he’d care at all…”

Derek pursed his lips in thought as he held the slender brunette to his frame, wondering how much exactly he ought to tell her. He was already pretty far off the reservation secretly harboring her and Olivia like this, so there probably wasn’t much point in holding anything back anyway. He guided her to the couch so they could talk without disturbing the baby, letting Winter nuzzle into him when they got seated even though he felt a little awkward about it considering her relationship with his uncle. He figured after roughing it for so long she probably was craving human comfort so he figured the least he could do was provide her that even if he knew he wasn’t the person she really wanted or needed right now.

“I know he isn’t very good at showing it, hell there probably aren’t too many people worse than him at showing it, but… Peter cares very much. About you, about Olivia even if he doesn’t technically know her. I think that’s what’s been hardest on him, the not knowing. None of us knew if you were alive or dead, if you were doing all right with the baby. We all worried, but Peter… He agonized. He’s still tearing himself apart over letting you slip away from him. I’ve never seen him act the way he has, wouldn’t have believed he was capable if I hadn’t seen it myself.” Derek told her quietly, absently running his hand up and down her arm as he spoke.

Winter was crying softly against his chest now, but to her credit she managed to keep her voice steady when she pointed out that regret was good but it wasn’t the same as a change of heart, and she asked Derek the question that made his stomach twist because he didn’t know the answer for good or bad. She asked him if Peter would want Olivia in his life now, and the younger werewolf sighed haggardly. 

“Honestly… I’m not sure Winter. I want to hope so, but I really can’t say. I think it’s likely he does want both of you in his life, but he might let his fear and stubbornness overcome that. Peter has always seen love as a weakness. He needs to wake up and realize that it makes people stronger.” Derek mused, his heart bleeding for the woman since it was clear she still had feelings for his uncle but she didn’t want to risk putting all her chips down on such a risky bet, and he couldn’t exactly blame her.

She cried herself out after a while and Derek gently prompted her to get up, putting his hand in the small of her back to lead her over to his bed where Olivia lay in slumber. “She’s a good sleeper.” Derek commented with a small smile, squeezing Winter’s shoulder before stepping away to go lie on the couch. He knew it would give the woman more privacy if he went upstairs but part of him was still worried that she might try to bolt after a few hours of rest and he wanted to make sure he woke up so he could try and convince her to stay.

Derek paused when Winter softly spoke his name, turning back to look at her. The leopard hung her head as if she were ashamed or embarrassed, but he wasn’t really surprised by the request she made of him. She asked him if he would mind staying in his bed with her, her voice wobbly as she rambled disjointedly about being alone and afraid for so long and Derek stepped back over to her to gently hush her. “You don’t have to apologize for anything. I know it’s been very hard for you Winter. Come on, I’ll stay with you till you fall asleep at least, all right?” He soothed, understanding that desperate need for any kind of comfort, that desire for simple human contact. The werewolf let Winter carefully climb into bed first, curling his front to her back with her beneath the covers and him above them. 

He hooked his arm around her middle and she pushed back as closely to him as she could manage, her whole frame trembling and Derek propped his brow against the back of her head, wordlessly letting her know he was there for her. He felt a little uneasy holding her like this, but he made himself push it out of his mind for now and focus on giving her what he could, though in the back of his mind he knew it wasn’t really what she wanted or needed, it would have to do in lieu of the real thing.

Winter cried still silently with Derek’s body wrapped around her own, feeling comforted by his presence and pleased he was willing to offer her that human contact she so craved. She sighed and settled with him and her daughter sleeping just an arm’s length away from them both, humming like she did to her baby and soothe her to sleep despite the fact that she was already passed out. It was more out of habit and a comfort to herself than her daughter for the moment.

Her eyes fluttered closed and she slowly drifted off with them both until she felt Derek’s arm slipping from around her waist. “No.” She whispered, so softly she wasn’t even sure he heard her but her hand darted back to snatch his, grasping his fingers and her eyes watered once more. She turned over to face him, cupping his face and drawing him to her, “Derek, please.” She pleaded, craning her head to press her lips to his cheek and her breathing caught in her throat as she took the chance, kissing his lips slowly.

“Please don’t leave us.” She begged him, feeling a bit in a daze from exhaustion and stress. Her fingers curled into his shirt and she nuzzled his chest again, resting once more. She was relaxed for only a moment or two when she realized what she had just done to Derek, Peter’s only nephew. “Oh my god. Derek I’m so sorry--- I just—I haven’t felt comfort since I left him. I shouldn’t have done that. Oh god I’m sorry. That was so weird… so wrong.” She muttered, pulling back from him a bit but he hushed her and shook his head, promising it was fine and they would simply pretend it hadn’t happened, claiming he understood why she was craving affection like she was.

“You’re just the closest thing to Peter I guess. It won’t happen again I swear.” She said, pushing him back and letting him take the space he wanted. He gentle urged her to just roll over and lie with Olivia and she nodded her agreement. Winter rolled over and gave him her back again, not making him wrap around her once more and instead she curled closer to her daughter, feeling Derek put his arm back in place and take her free hand at least, pretending she hadn’t just made a fool of herself. “Do you think I’m doing the right thing, Derek?” She whispered, listening to his response and nodding her head.

“Thank you for letting us stay at least for the night. Maybe more.” She sighed, closing her eyes again and falling asleep more fully. She didn’t stir at all when Derek left this time, or when he took Olivia to change her and say good bye. He must have really gone early because the leopard roused at sunrise as it peeked through the windows and across the bed, hearing Livi stirring beside her. She got up and took the infant with her, going to sit on the couch and nurse her baby girl, seeing no sign of Derek or his bags. Part of her wished she could have been awake to say good bye, knowing in the back of her mind she wasn’t going to let this last at all but he didn’t know that quite yet.

She spent the day with her daughter, doing chores for Derek and trying to find things to do to keep them both busy, mostly Olivia kept her entertained. Winter wandered into the kitchen in the afternoon, finally giving into the hunger she felt and finding a note left for her on the counter.

Winter and Olivia, I know you want to do it alone but like I said you’re family and if you won’t accept Peter’s help then I hope you’ll take mine. I left you one of my cards and another note with it, the pin numbers and passwords to access my main account. I swear that none of it is linked to Peter and he doesn’t have any access to my funds, he won’t know where you use this or when and I intend to keep it that way as you asked. PLEASE take them. Buy Olivia anything she needs and get yourself a few things as well, for the house if you stay or for when you go, either way but I want to help you. Love, Derek. 

Her eyes watered, she didn’t deserve kindness like this or she never felt she did, never knew she was meant to have any bit of a family again and here Derek was taking care of someone who wasn’t his responsibility and a child that wasn’t his. She smiled and picked up the card and the sticky note placed on top of it, reading over the pins and codes on it before she took it to her bag for safe keeping. She promised herself she would only use it for emergencies or for things Livi needed.

It was nearing the end of four weeks and Winter was itching to stay but at the same time she felt rising stress knowing Peter would be coming back into town as well. She couldn’t hide here at Derek’s place forever, going back and forth with ideas on how she might be able to do so but coming up with nothing good. She packed her things a few days before Derek had promised he would be arriving home, tugging on the new onesie she bought for Olivia, sticking to bargain shopping and thrift stores so that she didn’t spend much of Derek’s budget.

Thank you for everything. We’re rested now and I wanted us to be out of your hair before your return. I won’t use it unless needed. Love always, Winter.

She carefully placed the poorly written note on his freshly made bed, ensuring his place was just as clean as she came in and not wanting to directly mention the money he offered her should Peter discover that part of their deal with one another. He might try to find them that way. And with that she took off, cradling Olivia to her chest and in her sling once more, running into the woods with duffle and diaper bag in hand, heading North this time.

 

Derek entered his loft with a measure of apprehension, not hearing any signs of life within before opening the door but that didn’t mean for certain that Winter and Olivia were gone. He poked his head inside, hazarding a call of the leopard’s name but no response came. Sadly, he wasn’t all that surprised. The whole place had been scrubbed clean, whether as a favor to him or to eliminate traces of her scent should Peter come here he wasn’t sure but either way he knew he was alone in the immaculate apartment. 

It only took him a second to notice the note she’d left, a sad smile tugging at his lips as he read her parting words. He hoped that she would use his money for more than just emergencies, but of course he couldn’t do anything about it now. His main worry now was going to be not letting his uncle catch on that Derek not only had harbored his lost love and child in his home but now he had at least a marginally effective way of tracking her movements.

Derek had been a terrible liar as a child, but he felt that now after becoming painfully aware of the deception in the world, some of which was levied directly at him by people he trusted most, he had become fairly accomplished in practicing dishonesty. The only problem with keeping a secret from someone like Peter was that the elder Hale was a natural born liar, and he approached the world expecting to be lied to so it was child’s play for him to sniff out deceit. Still, as far as Derek could tell he managed to keep his uncle in the dark as the days turned into weeks.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I decided to just... add the rest because chapters are hard.

Peter knew there was something off about his nephew, ever since they’d left for Brazil. He couldn’t quite place it, and with Derek it was sometimes hard to tell if he had a genuine issue or if he was just being moody. He had always been more prone to bouts of obnoxious emotions like his mother Talia, in Peter’s mind it was part of what had made both his older sister and his nephew ultimately unable to retain their alpha status.

Normally he would’ve jumped on a chance to make Derek sweat, dig into whatever he was involved in if only to throw a wrench in the works for his own amusement. But he didn’t, he just… He didn’t see the joy in it anymore. Nothing really was appealing to him any more, even killing Kate Argent a few months ago had given him no sense of satisfaction, in fact after he did it all he could think about was what Winter would think of him for using murder to make his problem go away.

Still it bothered him that no matter how much time passed, Derek still seemed oddly tense around him. Anger, annoyance, sarcasm, those were the kinds of things he expected from his nephew, but this sort of unease that had formed between them wasn’t something he could explain or diffuse. Peter took to dropping by Derek’s loft again from time to time, trying to get back into a more regular swing with the younger wolf more for his own peace of mind than anything. All he could guess was that something had happened in Brazil, it was when he’d first noticed his nephew’s odd behavior. Maybe something was wrong with Cora that Derek simply felt he shouldn’t be privy to. It wouldn’t be the first time, Derek had hidden her very existence from him once already.

Peter arrived at Derek’s loft for an impromptu visit, smiling when his nephew didn’t answer his cheerful greeting at the door. There were several stacks of books out on the floor and coffee table, Derek hunched over among them as he sorted various volumes. “Moving day?” Peter commented flippantly, nodding when the younger wolf explained he’d just built himself a bigger set of bookshelves and was going through his collection as he put them away.

“Well aren’t you handy.” Peter said in a teasing tone, grabbing a heavy cloth-bound book off the top of one taller stack, thumbing through the pages idly and setting it back down. “You know they make these great things called E-readers now. You can store literally thousands of books on a tablet and you don’t have to deal with any of the… Musty smell.” Peter said in a dry tone, it wasn’t the first time he’d brought up such technology to his nephew but the younger man stubbornly refused to join the rest of them in the new century. He had a laptop now at least but he still wouldn’t get a television for his place and it amused Peter to no end to tease him about his archaic tastes. Like he expected, Derek commented on how he preferred ‘real’ books over electronic ones.

“I suppose.” Peter responded absently, a little whiff of something familiar tugging at his senses through the heavy scent of Derek’s many old written works. His brow furrowed, an image attaching itself to the scent and his heart started thudding with anxiety. Derek picked up on it too, looking up at him from where he knelt looking confused at the sudden change in his uncle’s demeanor. Peter took a deeper breath and became sure of it then, the scent… It was her scent. The elder Hale stepped around the first pile of books, shoving a second one over making his nephew curse him out but he paid it no heed, tearing through the bottom-most books in the stack he’d knocked over till he got to the source of the faint smell.

He opened the book and out fell a tiny scrap of paper that barely held the remnants of Winter’s scent on it. Peter picked it up, his heart stopping as he read the words, looking from the note to his nephew and back. “What… The hell… Is this?” Peter whispered, crushing the paper in his fingers involuntarily. 

Derek’s hazel eyes went straight to the note in his uncle’s hand, recognizing it before he even said anything in regards to it. In the back of his mind he was hoping that he didn’t have a clue who it came from but he could faintly smell Winter as soon as Peter crumpled up the note. “A girl I had over.” He lied but it wasn’t his heart rate that gave him away. Peter simply knew, there was no way he could try to talk him out of figuring out who was really here a few weeks back.

He raised his hands openly for the man to see he meant no harm, trying to claim his innocence still but Peter demanded that he tell him what the hell the note was, what it meant and who it was from, wanting to hear the name allowed. The younger werewolf hesitated for only a moment, stepping another pace back when his uncle drew closer. “It means that the love of your life is perfectly safe and that’s the important point here.” He started, ensuring he could see where Peter’s hands were so he knew when to duck should he try to swing at him.

He could hear Peter’s heart racing, see the words clicking and registering in his mind and watch as he pieced together the puzzle. Derek opted for being open with him now, speaking in a slow tone as he walked towards the older man. “Winter came here and she was pretty tired and looked like she had been running for weeks by then. She asked for a place to stay just for one night and I offered her the loft except… I let her be here a lot longer. By my guess she left about two days before we got back to Beacon Hills. That note was all that she left behind.” He explained hoping his uncle didn’t flat out tear at his throat in the wake of his anger at finding out this little secret Derek had been keeping.

He was right or very close to it, his uncle roaring at him and baring his teeth, eyes glowing blue as he yelled about how he had kept this from him for months knowing that he had spent almost a year of his life trying to find her again. Derek raised his hands again and jumped over the couch as a barrier between them, “Peter you don’t want to fight me.” He said, knowing that really wasn’t true regardless of the situation. He eyes flicked back to amber, revving up to defend himself if he had to. “She made me swear not to tell you. She didn’t want you trying to follow them. I told her you had been looking for her for a long time but you… still lacked in the parental field. I didn’t think you were ready or wanting to have either of them, not truly.”

“You want that life you had with Winter before the pregnancy and that isn’t going to happen. Peter your daughter was with her… Three—Maybe four months old and even if I wanted to call you down to come get Winter I knew you’d dump that little girl because it isn’t what you want and it’s not what you’re ready for.” Derek defended himself further, rearing back when Peter reached for him out of spite and started to growl again the more he spoke. “You can’t tell me that isn’t true. I know you… I know you haven’t talked to Malia in six months and that doesn’t even bother you in the least. I know you don’t want anyone calling you ‘Dad.’ I know…. That you want to pretend none of it hurts of affects you.”

 

“You know me? You know me?!” Peter roared, his eyes blazing and his features shifting marginally to his more lupine form. “You think because you hold yourself up on your little self-righteous pedestal above me that you have the right to make that choice for me?! It doesn’t matter what you think you know about me, it wasn’t your place you miserable little pissant!” He snarled, lunging over the couch between them and taking another swipe at his nephew. His claws narrowly missed connecting with Derek’s chest and his nephew growled a bit reactively but stayed purely on the defensive, not backing down on what he’d said.

“Of course I haven’t talked to Malia in months! Do you think she wants it any other way? Our lives have no point of intersection anymore, I can live with that and clearly so can she. It’s an entirely different circumstance with her. And even if every word you said was true-” Peter faltered slightly, knowing beneath his voracious rage that it was true, “You still had no right to make that call. You could have at least let me know she was alive!” He yelled though it lacked the same amount of force as before.

“All that time, she must have been struggling, on her own with the baby, and I was powerless to help her. I know very well that I’m not ‘paternal material’ all right, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t help support them in some way. If she hadn’t been so damn stubborn I could’ve made sure they both lived quite comfortably whether I was directly in their lives or not. Even I’m not so heartless that I would reject them entirely! I can’t…” Peter’s voice broke and he averted his gaze, shaking his head trying to keep himself together, “I can’t be what she needs me to be. I know that. But I still could’ve helped them. I still deserve the right to at least know my child and her mother are alive.” He uttered, his chest heaving and every muscle tight as a bowstring from the weight of the stress and guilt he bore.

The two men were quiet for several tense moments, Derek cautiously bedded down his lupine nature but still didn’t turn his back on Peter for a second as he slowly circled a little closer, starting to pick up the books strewn on his floor. The elder Hale watched almost in a daze for a few moments, standing still other than his labored breathing till he finally relaxed his own wolfish side as well. “The note said… ‘I’ll only use it for emergencies.’ What does that mean?” He asked, not looking directly at his nephew as he listened to the younger wolf explain that he cashed out one of his bank accounts for her, that Winter wouldn’t accept anything but cash to remain untraced by Peter.

“Don’t lie to me.” Peter whispered harshly, his hands flexing into fists again. “I’ll get the truth out of you one way or another.” He added in a deadly serious tone. He knew somewhere in the back of his mind that Derek was still just trying to uphold Winter’s wishes, but that wasn’t up to him any more. Derek sighed, admitting that he’d given the woman his bank card for one of his accounts, but that it wasn’t going to do him much good looking at the records of purchases since he monitored them closely himself and that Winter took pretty extreme measures on her own, drawing out large amounts of cash extremely rarely from several different states though he’d never seen anything from farther out than Denver Colorado.

Derek spent weeks having to consistently reassure Peter that the same trail was happening, Winter would take out large amounts of money and then show up in another state. There was nothing more to go off of, but that didn’t stop him from finally deciding that now was the time to pack up and travel at least to every state she popped up in over the last week or so. He went on to do so for years, finding leads to Winter and Peter would follow them and hope she left some sort of trail.

There were a few times he caught her scent but the elements were too much to keep a good hold on it. It was wearing on Derk just as well considering he was more or less caught in the middle of it all but he refused to simply let it run his life, still doing all the things he loved like read and… he supposed that was it. “Peter you’re not going to be able to find her. She’s gotten really smart about leaving a trail. She takes the money and goes a few cities over before she even uses any of it. By the time you get there she’s out of state again. It’s never the same pattern but it’s always the same six or seven states she stops in.” He said over the phone, hearing Peter’s breathing picking up with anger at not tracking her yet again when he made it to Texas.

“I have to go Chris is at the door.” Derek said lightly, hanging up on his uncle and before the man even took the entrance into his building Derek had propped open his door and was waiting, turning off the alarm already so it wouldn’t sound. “What do I owe the pleasure?” He said in a neutral tone, not sure on if he should hate the man or appreciate that he had helped him over the years.

“It’s the leopard.” Chris Argent half panted, clearly having come from somewhere straight over to talk to Derek about this.

Derek’s brow rose, he had almost forgotten that Chris had even been around enough to know about Winter, “What about her?” He demanded, urging the man inside and stepping into her space. “If you touched her and that kid I swear to God I don’t care about any code.”

“No! No. They’ve got her. Some hunters in Nevada.” The older man explained through another huff of breath, the cold air from the outdoors making it blow like steam out of his mouth. He continued to shake his head and make the point every clear that he had done nothing to Winter. “I caught word of an auction and I think Winter’s one of the items listed at top dollar.”

Derek didn’t know exactly what that meant, “So we’ll buy her out. Tell me where.”

Chris put his hand on Derek’s chest to keep him from taking off like he seemed to have a mind to. “It’s not that simple. They took the little girl from her as far as I know. My contact in Nevada said that this group… they’ve gone against the code entirely. It’s like they’re trying to get her enraged and trying to get her scared so she’ll fight as much as they can make her. I don’t know what they’ll use her for… if they’re hunting for sport or hoping someone will train her to be a weapon.” He told him, following Derek to his kitchen and the werewolf got the older man a glass of water. “Thanks.” He said, taking gulps of it and wiping his mouth. “As of yet all I know is that they know she can fully shift and they’re hoping the baby does too. She’s innocent, more innocent than Winter and she’d be easy to take advantage of. I wish I could tell you more but until we get there to know for sure I can’t say what’s going to happen or how long they’ll even hold her there.”

“So just to recap,” Peter piped up from where he was fully reclined in the passenger seat of Derek’s SUV, “Winter is being held in a remote abandoned Shoshone village by a group of Argent’s freaky little friends as some kind of high price ticket item in a supernatural brawlfest auction, and we have no idea if Olivia is with her as well or not.” He droned and Derek answered affirmatively in a succinct fashion.

“Chris Argent, a man we’ve both separately tried to kill, is leading us right into the heart of a nest of hunters and other malcontents who pit creatures like us against each other in fights to the death for ridiculously high wagers. Am I the only one seeing the red flags here?” Peter prodded a little more bluntly, still not quite convinced of the hunter’s story or that Derek’s trust in him was well placed. He glanced out the windshield at the tail lights of Argent’s vehicle ahead of them on the lonely highway, wondering if it might be better to just get rid of him out here in the middle of nowhere and take their chances.

Derek was quick to point out that whether it was a good idea to take Argent’s word or not, they had to at least check this out on the chance that Winter and her daughter really were being held captive by these people. The elder Hale nodded and shrugged, “Yes I suppose so. But that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t be better off finding this place on our own rather than begging for rambo up there to lead us right into a trap. For all we know we’re his big ticket items.” Peter responded, settling back in with his head pillowed on his hands and closing his eyes.

He appeared outwardly calm, above this whole half-cocked scheme that his nephew and the hunter had come up with, but internally Peter was a seething tightly coiled column of nerves and anger ready to snap. Just the notion of Winter being taken and held in such a fashion, her own child being used against her to motivate her to fight when she was so gentle and kind by nature… It made him sick with rage. Their plan was to buy her out and take her and Olivia back peacefully if at all possible, but Peter fully intended on making whoever took her bleed out along with anyone else who got in his way.

The small group of men traveled all day and night, stopping a couple hours short of the location they needed to make sure their plan finalized and get a few hours rest before going out to get what they came for. Peter, Derek and Chris had all cashed out different accounts and Peter had selected a few rare items from the Hale vault as well since the hunter mentioned just cash alone might not do the trick. Peter couldn’t sleep, simply laying stretched out on his motel bed staring at the ceiling, letting memories both good and bad play through his mind of his lover, swearing up and down that he would see her again in the flesh, take her back from those foolish enough to stand between him and her no matter the cost.

Winter could hardly even remember how she got in this place to begin with, let alone what these people were going to do with her. A large blond man walked up and down the hall and she could hear the cries of a few others not to mention the harsh screams and roars of whatever events took place up those steps. She crawled over to the bars of her small cell, reaching out and grabbing the pant leg of her guard. “Where’s my daughter? Please I need to see her. I’ll do anything.” She begged, her eyes watering up.

The man kicked at her arm, making her flinch back. “Absolutely anything?” He asked through a dark smile, bending down towards her and running his hand along her cheek through the bars. The leopard wouldn’t meet his eyes but nodded and promised she meant what she said. His eyes glanced around the rest of the space, “Lucky you I’m almost off duty. You please me and I just might let you see your little brat.” He promised though Winter was certain he was lying.

The leopard nodded, “I will. Just open the door.” She pleaded, watching him do just that and let her out. She crawled and tried to rush past him but he was too quick, grabbing at her shirt and yanking her up and back making her stumble. She was certain that had it not been a lack of nutrition she would be able to fight much easier to free herself. He pulled her up and half dragged her down the hall, slamming her into the wall and using his electrified baton to torment her. Winter sobbed, she was tired of the pain and tired of the treatment, slipping down the wall into a submissive position so he wouldn’t use it against her like he had in the past. “I just want to see her… make sure she’s okay.”

Her eyes blinked open and she couldn’t remember all she had or hadn’t done, feeling like she blacked out in the midst of her fight. She looked back over her shoulder and saw only darkness of the room lined with cells, running as fast as she could towards the exit when an alarm sounded, screeched in her ears and she nearly fell at the sound. She kept going until she rammed into a door, sputtering a bit as she slammed her fists against the heavy metal exit. Her breathing frantic as she tried to figure out a way to break it, find a way to escape or a place to hide but she could already hear footsteps coming from the other direction as well as voices on the opposite side of the door.

Three others raced at her and she raised her hands, shaking her head and begging yet again that they let her go to her young child. The slender brunett to her left swung first, bolts of electricity causing her to still and fall to the filthy floors, convulsing as they all took their turns hitting her into submission, making her cry and plead to be taken back to her cell, figuring now it was safer there. “No no Sweetheart. You’re our top prize and the more you fight, the better it is for us. You see they’re watching you and every time you run… every time you shred the remains of one of our own you’re only raising the bar.” The man said in a soothing voice that only frightened Winter further.

She fought his accusation that she had hurt anyone but the man tsked at her, “You ripped apart Steven when he tried to get your clothes off. He can’t keep his pants on for five damn minutes… it was bound to happen sooner or later.” He sneered, lifting her up and shoving her forward and only then did she see the blood staining her clothes, not only drenched in her own but that of the man she had unknowingly just killed. “We’ve got a few clients interested in you. We’ll take you to the rink, let your daughter watch your first match.”

Winter said nothing, blinking back tears and growling when he shoved her again and tugged at her hair to keep her from getting to far. “Now now.” He said, pressing his baton to her back in warning when her claws flicked out, “Save it for the show.” The brunette male instructed in a harsher tone, taking her up a few steps and pushing her out onto something of a stage, barred in by electrified fencing and she knew based on the steady hiss it made around her.

The were’s heart raced, looking around for a way out again and hearing hunters cheer for her to give a demenstration and she jumped hearing her captors bringing up another.

\----

Chris came back into the Hale’s room, hanging up his phone and looking all too serious at the two men. Peter shot up from his spot on his mattress after he had finally stopped pacing in wait of what they were meant to do next. He demanded to know the exact location, where she was and what they were doing to her. The human glanced from Peter to Derek and back, sighing, “They’ve brought her out already. They want to make her fight and prove herself.” He informed them, his contact keeping a close watch on everything until they could get there.

“We’ve gotta move.” Derek said, packing up their things to take to the car but Peter hardly cared, already having his duffle filled with cash and other artifacts he hoped would be enough to buy her out. The younger wolf raced after him, followed by the hunter and they filed into their cars. “What’s our best route?” He asked, none too surprised when Chris simply shook his head.

“Your guess is as good as mine. We might be too late to keep her from having to act but I’m almost certain we’ve got enough to buy her out and take her home. They haven’t seen Olivia.” Chris stated sorrowfully, hearing Peter cursing at them to cut the chit chat and get a move on, he was out for blood and only that, that much was clear. Neither Derek nor Chris could blame him really considering his one love and his young daughter were both being bargained for.

 

The operation being run out of the old native american site was everything Peter expected: sleazy, dirty, and dangerous. Chris Argent might be all about protecting the innocent now, but it amused the elder werewolf that it was his connections to his less than noble past that granted him access to a place like this with little to no resistance. The surly men at the door asked him if he was here to bet or to buy, and the tall man answered that he was here to acquire a piece of valuable merchandise rumored to be for sale here.

They were allowed in and led to the main arena, an outdoor venue lined with tall electrified fences and there were several fights happening in the enclosure already, likely sellers trying to drive up the price of their wares before the real events began. Peter understood the appeal, a little barbaric for his tastes surely but there were few better ways to display one’s power than by owning the prize fighter in matches such as these. He always preferred to remain more in the shadows, keep his cards close to his chest but he’d been aware of such events in the past and even made some money a time or two on them.

The three men gazed out over the arena and Derek asked under his breath if either of them saw Winter, but as far as they could tell there was no sign of her in the many brawls happening in the circle below them. Peter shook his head as he glanced around, “No, they won’t have the really valuable ones out here for everyone to see. Creatures of Winter’s caliber would only be shown to the richest and most dangerous buyers, they likely have a smaller venue set up for private observation and bidding somewhere. That’s where we need to be.” He commented, wrinkling his nose at the powerful scent of fear permeating this place. Normally it wouldn’t bother him, but knowing that his lover’s fear was likely part of the smell, it turned his stomach.

Chris didn’t seem confident that his contact here could get them into the more elite circles making deals here, but Peter wasn’t worried. “I know how to speak their language. Just take me to whoever handles the general inventory.” He directed, outwardly cool and calm but raring for a fight more and more every second that they passed in this place.

They approached a lanky man beneath the main arena, walking by several caged people and things hardly recognizable but Peter paid them no heed, his heart not bleeding for any other person’s plight apart from his lover and child. He sized the jailor up, recognizing him to be a werewolf by his scent and that made him sneer in amusement.

“So, you cage and torture your own kind to avoid the same fate for yourself, hmm? Noble.” Peter commented in a condescending tone, evoking a growl from the broad muscled wolf who barely managed to keep his anger in check as he asked again if they were here to place a bet or buy. The elder Hale glanced around and shrugged, “Don’t make me laugh. There’s nothing here worth spending a dime on, present company included. We’re here to spend real money on real merchandise.” He shot back, smirking as the opposing wolf grew even more irate and he brushed off his nephew’s warning to be careful.

The keeper snarled at them that what they saw was what was available, but Peter cut him off raising his hand in the other wolf’s face, “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to misunderstand. You see, I wasn’t making a request.” Peter said in a falsely contrite tone, his claws flicking out in less time than it took to blink and in the next fraction of a second the Hale drove his hand deeply into the jailor’s chest. He crushed the werewolf’s heart in his hand, yanking out the pulped remnants of the organ out of the hole he created and twitching his nose lightly from the blood that spurted on his face. He kept the body from hitting the floor by snatching it up by the shirt, dragging it with him like the weight was with him.

“Come on boys, lets go find someone in this dump who can actually give us what we want.” He proposed as casually as if he’d just suggested they all go out for a burger and beer, stalking down the corridor of cages to the closed off section beneath the arena where the high end business would be taking place.

Chris walked past Derek to get to Peter’s side, following the werewolf perhaps a little too closely. “We aren’t here for blood Peter. We’re on a rescue mission and no one has threatened us yet, you just killed a man in cold blood and you realize that gives me reason to take you out as a hunter?” He warned, unfazed by the way the older Hale stopped and turned to him growling out that he would snap the man’s neck before he could even reach for his little magic bullets. He claimed that he was here for a rescue but had a mind to end anyone involved, to stop something like this and that Chris should be by his side not threatening him instead.

Peter turned on his heel and Chris had to agree he was right, this fighting had gone on long enough and it was far worse than Peter killing a single werewolf in the process. “Quite a show there fellas.” A voice said from off to their left, an older male wandering in from the shadows and coming into view. He lightly clapped his hands in amusement. “Chris Argent. I hardly thought this was your scene. Out for vengeance over your daughter’s death. Haven’t you mourned enough? It’s been years my friend.” He said, clasping his hands neatly in front of him and the demeanor he gave didn’t quite match the tattered outfit he wore.

“I’m here on business, Kane.” The hunter informed him, “Got a gentleman interested in your merchandise but clearly he’s unimpressed by the games at the front gate.” He explained, looking to Peter and nodding for him to make claim of what he wanted, perhaps talk his way into getting to the back.

Stanley Kane, the old man before them sneered, clucking his tongue diapprovingly. “You’re here for the shifter aren’t you? Oh she’s made quite a scene of the games. I think she’s on round three by now. It’s going quite nicely. We’ve injected wolfsbane into her blood stream, mostly for kicks and giggles but… also because she put up resistance. This way when she gets hit and won’t heal, she’s learned by now the only way is to fight. I’m afraid her price is out of your budget, in fact I might just keep her for myself. She’s making us lots of money.”

Derek tried to make a grab at Peter when he saw the man lurch forward to tear Kane to shreds, likely rip out his heart like he had with the man at the gate. “Peter. It’s our only shot at seeing if she’s still alive.”

“Oh she is. We’re hoping she’ll soon show her full form to the crowd. Bitches are always so resistant. It’s no wonder we only keep about five percent. She should consider herself lucky.” Stanley said, grinning at the three of them and turning on his heel. “Are you coming or not?” He smirked, luring them back and knowing they would take any chance to find this girl most his higher end clients were raving for. Only these three he had plans to back into a corner, command his men to keep them out of the way, end them should they have to so the games would go on.

Peter calmly wiped his face of the smattering of blood adorning it, quietly memorizing the man’s face so he could find him and tear him apart later for speaking of Winter the way he had. They followed him back and as Peter suspected there was a smaller arena concealed beneath the main one, where fewer but fiercer fights were taking place.

Peter almost instantly caught the scent of Winter's blood and it made him see red for an instant, but he refused to exhibit anything less than perfect control when the leopard's life was at stake. He spotted her on the far side of the caged area, panting and bloodied all her attention on the huge brute facing her that looked less like a Were and more like some twisted scientist's genetic experiment gone wrong. The thing was nearly triple her size yet she was being forced to fight it alone, and this wasn’t even an exhibition fight for real wagers, it was merely the trial run. The logical part of him still capable of higher reasoning knew that they were trying to draw out her fully shifted form, but from the looks of it she had held out thus far.

They were led to a long table where several potential buyers and dealers were seated, and the elder Hale went to the man who ran this whole operation and possessed Winter’s contract and dropped the heavy bag of money and several priceless items he’d taken from the family vault practically in his lap. “I’ll be taking the snow leopard, and her welp. This is ten percent of my offer for them up front.” He stated rather than asked, watching with a deadly serious expression as the somewhat flustered hunter seated before him looked back and forth from Peter to the bag as he inspected the contents.

“Very generous sum… What do you want her for, dog? To fight her here on your own circuit?” The owner asked, waving Kane and his guards off when they approached in response to Peter’s close proximity to their employer.

“Of course not. I want what every other werewolf with a bid on her wants- to kill her, and the girl, take what’s hers and make it my own.” Peter responded with a smirk as he glanced out at the combat stage and back, “I’m just in a position to pay many hundreds of times more for her than what the rest of them can.” He added, his grin widening when he saw the telltale note of greed in the man’s eyes.

Peter almost hoped the man would refuse, he was so full rage and murderous intent at the moment that he was pretty sure if he didn’t give it a constructive outlet that would end up tearing the next person who looked at him wrong to bits whether friend or foe. But much to the disappointment of his peers around him who wanted to keep Winter here for mutual profit, the owner decided to take the prize for himself rather than share her potential winnings later.

“Very well, you have yourself a deal sir. Pleasure doing business.” He leered up at Peter but it was at least slightly more respectable this time. The sounds of carnage accompanied their handshake sealing the deal, and as soon as he had it in writing the elder Hale strode over to the combat stage, his own malicious presence quieting the fights happening around him as he passed till he got to the overgrown monster trying to take another swipe at the only thing in this world he cared about.

Peter casually raked a single claw across the brute’s back to get it’s attention, raising his brows at it when he snarled and turned on him, “I won’t have my investments damaged.” He said quietly but every word dripped with murderous intent. The Hale reached up and unceremoniously snapped the creature’s neck like it was a matchstick, calling over his shoulder as the creature fell, “I’ll pay for this one as well.” He turned and finally met Winter’s gaze for the first time in over three years, as sure of himself as he had been up until this point, he had no idea what to expect now.

“I’m here to get you and Olivia out of here. Just play along.” Peter whispered under his breath for only the pair of them to hear.

Winter’s hazel eyes casted over to the man who just joined her in the arena, gearing up to right him as well but she recognized the voice all too well. She watched him snap the neck of the beast she was fighting, jumping at the sound of his heavy body falling to the ground between them. Her ears were ringing and she felt confusion washing over her. Should she find a way out alone or trust that Peter wasn’t going to hold her captive as well. “No.” She said, her breathing picking up when he smirked at her.

Blood loss and exhaustion made her woozy, not to mention the many times she was electricuted as well as hit in the head. She shook her head at him anyways, defiantly but he reached for her, calling her ‘his’ and she wondered if he meant that or if this was his ploy. She went with instinct rather than following his lead, yanking her wrist back from him and nearly collapsing to the floor. “No!” She screamed at him, “I want to see my daughter! I don’t need you for that! I can’t go.” She said over and over again, her knees going weak and despite the audience Peter caught her before she fell, hoisting her upright and guiding her out into the crowd.

“She’s stronger than she lets on.” The owner said, counting bills absently as he waved for his men to come closer, giving them instructions in another language. With another wave two men came to their sides as Winter was rousing yet again, arm slung around Derek. She blinked and whispered his name low enough so no one heard her, blinking at her surroundings and seeing Peter walking in front of them.

“Where’s Olivia? Where’s my daughter!?” She roared, pulling out of Derek’s grasp and desperately trying to get to those up front to tear them apart herself and find out where her young girl was. “He can’t have her! She’s mine!” She snarled, nearly getting to those leading them down a dark hallway when Peter grabbed her and pushed her back off to Derek and an older kind faced gentleman she didn’t recognize. Tears brimmed in her eyes, listening to Derek promise they were getting there. “She’s mine.” She whispered to him through a tiny sob.

The two men led them down another set of stairs, tugging on a chain and turning on the light so the room was brighter. It smelled like blood, fear, rotted flesh and death… everything nasty that Winter could possibly think of but then she saw her. Olivia was being dragged out kicking and flailing in her own attempt to try and escape, begging for her mother and it made Winter cry more. “I’m here. Baby I’m right here.” She said over her whimpering, stepping forward again and taking her when the man holding her offered her over. “It’s okay. I’m here.” She soothed, letting her bury her face in her neck and hugging her close.

“Boss said you wanted the runt too.” One man mentioned, pulling the door closed and just as Winter was getting a full hold on Olivia she was snatched away from her grasp, screaming as more men came out of the darkness, some with glowing eyes and other’s with batons ready to subdue anyone in their path. “Such a shame you came so far for neither.” He said, whipping out a blade and the scent alone told Winter it was coated in wolfsbane.

Derek surged forward in the same moment a shot went off and she flinched in fear, huddling back against the wall and wanting nothing to do with the fight, “Olivia!” She hollared, roaring and snarling echoing in the small space and she was quick to see that the man she didn’t recognize with Derek and Peter had shot down the man with the blade in his hand, snatching it up and using it on one of the other attackers. Winter watched in horror as they took Olivia back around the corner and Peter instantly raced that way, a hand clasping over her mouth when she tried to scream again and she felt a blade drive into her side making her cry out in pain.

The leopard bit the finger of her attacker, tearing it off with her teeth and tasting blood as she took the blade from her own abdomen and whirled around as quick as she could, driving it up into the larger man’s chest cavity, hearing it tear through his flesh and listening to him take his final breath. She let him fall to the ground with the blade still buried deep in his body, her eyes glowing blue now and her fangs and claws visible, wanting nothing more than to tear apart the others until she heard screams.

She took off at a run as fast as she could manage, skidding to a stop when she saw Peter holding Olivia against his chest, hiding her face so she wouldn’t see the blood he just shed from another life. The body dropped and instantly Olivia was clinging to him, knowing he was protecting her without having to realize who he was. Peter faced her and Winter’s eyes were drenched with tears again, running down her cheeks and she felt the sudden fear that while she trusted Peter more than the others holding her here, she wondered what he might do with their daughter, if he would take her from her.

She had little time to ask when Peter grabbed at her, startling her completely as the fight made its way further down the corridor. “Don’t touch me. Please.” She whimpered, cringing back from him, “I don’t want you to touch me!” She snipped at him, sobbing, “Just give me my daughter. Leave us alone.” She begged him, trying to free herself from his tight grasp around her wrist but he refused to let up, pulling her with him and mentioning that he was getting her out before he had no other shot.

He took off running and half dragged her behind him, leading her out of the space and into the darkening evening, her heart racing as she fell to the ground in her haste to pull away from him. She cried there for a moment, fear and confusion taking over her until she felt tiny hands on her head, petting her hair. She looked up to see Olivia was free from her father’s hold, coming to sit in her lap and Winter grasped her instantly, hushing her own sobbing and kissing along her matted hair to her cheeks. “We’re okay now.” She kept repeating, trying to convince herself as well.

 

Peter knew they had only moments to make their escape, watching behind them while he let Winter have a moment to collect herself and have her daughter in her arms so she’d be calm enough to continue. He knew it was harsh but he couldn’t give them more than a few seconds of reunion, bending down to grip Winter’s arm and half-helping half-dragging her to her feet with Olivia in her arms.

“Come on, I’m getting you out of here.” Peter murmured gruffly, wincing as his body slowly healed from being shot several times though luckily he’d only been hit by regular bullets not ones laced with wolfsbane. As he expected Winter put up what fight she could, the woman was weakened considerably but she still resisted with everything she had. The werewolf’s frustration flared and he clamped down on her upper arm to keep her close, staring fiercely into her teary bloodshot aqua eyes, “Do you want your daughter to live? Do you?!” He barked, waiting half a second for Winter to nod, “Then move. I’m your only way out of this right now.” He snapped, tugging her along roughly with him towards where Chris and Derek’s cars were parked behind a small stone bluff.

Peter had lifted Argent’s keys almost the moment they arrived here, knowing he might need to bid a hasty retreat like this and not wanting to be left depending on someone else for a getaway vehicle. He unlocked the black SUV and helped Winter into the passenger seat, for all her huff and bluster the woman could barely walk on her own now that the adrenaline was flagging in her system. He peeled out over the dirt set on putting as much distance between them and this place as possible before giving a thought to anything else.

They drove in silence for several moments, honestly Peter was a little surprised he wasn’t being further laid into by Winter but he had to give most of his focus to driving since there wasn’t technically a road to follow for the first few miles and the last thing they needed was to be stranded with no vehicle in the middle of the desert. He hazarded a glance over at the leopard and saw that the woman had passed out, explaining her silence and he cursed softly under his breath. Peter reached out and pressed two fingers to Winter’s throat, getting a steady pulse and taking that as proof enough for now that she was going to be all right since he couldn’t afford to stop driving yet. It actually didn’t surprise him too much that her system had forced her to shut down for a bit now that she had her daughter back, her desperation for the girl was probably the only thing that had kept her fire lit till now.

Peter glanced at the girl herself, seeing that the child had gone quiet and was simply staring up at him with her wide blue eyes, her dirty fist jammed in her mouth as she sucked on her thumb. The werewolf’s brows quirked at her as she continued to stare at him, her small body mostly braced against her mother’s sleeping form.

“What?” He asked incredulously, finally turning onto the paved highway and relaxing marginally, able to look at the little girl for a few more seconds at a time. “What are you looking at squirt?” He asked, somehow feeling self-conscious under the young child’s lidless stare. He returned his attention to the road, speeding up now that he had a clear stretch of highway and fidgeting when he felt his cell phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw it was Derek, feeling a measure of relief that his nephew was alive though he would never admit it.

“Derek?” He spoke into the phone, noting with some unease that the girl was still staring at him, “Yes I’ve got them. They’re worn a bit ragged at the edges but they’re all right. No, I’ll be borrowing Argent’s car for a spell sorry, did he get out alive? Well isn’t he a resourceful little butcher.” Peter commented when his nephew confirmed that both he and Chris had made it out alive and were on the run like he was. “No, I won’t be reconvening with you, there’s something I’ve got to do.” Peter answered much to his nephew’s anger when he asked if they were going to meet up and go home together. 

The elder Hale glanced at Winter sleeping beside him, knowing he wasn’t going to entrust her safety to anyone else now, not until he could teach her how to properly mask her were-aura like he could. It was a skill he never planned to share lest she use it against him, but since she wanted nothing to do with him anyway, he could at least give her that skill so she could more effectively avoid ending up in another situation like the one they’d just saved her from.

“Yes I understand that, but I fully intend on letting her and the girl go their own way. After I make sure they have what they need to make it on their own.” Peter insisted in an annoyed tone at his nephew’s demands that he bring Winter back to Beacon Hills where they could all watch over her and Olivia as planned. “That was never my plan, Derek. But… Thank you for helping me get them out. I do truly… Appreciate it.” Peter said quietly, glancing at Olivia again and hanging up before Derek had the chance to protest further, ignoring his phone this time when it immediately lit up again with a call from the younger wolf.

“So. You’re Olivia, hmm?” Peter said to the girl whose features lit up when he spoke her name. She nodded, saying her own name and attaching her middle name as well as his name to it, her small sweet voice hitting him like a ton of bricks. “Olivia Rose… Hale? That’s… A very pretty name.” He murmured, swallowing hard when she confirmed it and said it again a few times almost like she was reciting a line from a play, perhaps from her mother teaching it to her by rote. 

“Olivia Rose Hale.” The young girl said in her sing song voice, fiddling with her mother’s hair for a moment as if insuring her comfort while she repeated her name over and over again for him to hear. “What’s your name?” She asked softly, turning in her mother’s lap and staring at him as he answered. “Nooooo your big name!” She demanded, meaning for him to give her more than just her first name and he did.

She recognized that their last names were the same but in her tiny mind it didn’t register quite yet what that meant. “I’m Hale too!” She whisper-yelled, crawling off her mother and starting to go towards him until he put his hand out and lightly urged her to stay sitting. “Twins. Mommy not Hale, she says she gave me a different one ‘cause it was suuuuuper special.” She hummed, sticking her thumb in her mouth again while Peter spoke about how they were related but differently than she was thinking. He was her father.

The young girls eyes lit up, “Oh.” She said simply, leaving it at that and continuing to stare up at him while he drove them to his home. Every so often he would glance at her but he didn’t ask anymore questions, didn’t urge her to keep talking anymore. They parked and she leaned forward in her mother’s lap to see out the window, yawning largely but feeling a bit of excitement at being in a new place and a home no less.

She turned towards Peter and stuck her arms out, making him ask what she wanted as he got out of the car and went to the other side. “Daddy.” She whispered, wriggling until he opened the passanger door and she reached for him yet again. “Daddy, up?” She prompted, grabbing at his shirt and hoping he would do so. He sighed and scooped her up and she nuzzled into his shoulder immediately after, arms draped around his neck. Her eyes closed and she rested happily into his chest as they walked up to the front of his townhouse and he led her inside, taking her up to one room and lying her down, coaxing her to go to sleep.

Olivia said nothing, waiting when he left and hearing the door again. She raced as fast as her tiny feet would carry her down the steps, wobbling a bit but standing tall and keeping balanced on the railing until she was in the open front room. “Daddy?” She called out, going to the door and standing in front of it with wide eyes, waiting for his return and fearing they had left her. The door popped open and she squealed and giggled until he pressed a finger to his lips and walked right past her.

She followed him at first but he shooed her to the kitchen and she obediently went to stand aside in there until he came back from putting her mom to bed. The young girl stuck her arms out again and curled her fingers in the air for him to pick her up, rather fond of his stronger hold and how warm he was. He sighed yet again and lifted her off the ground, letting her grab at his shirt and neck and face all she wanted to get comfortable. He asked her if she was hungry and she giggled and leaned back to poke her tummy, “Listen.” She instructed and after a moment of silence it rumbled loudly. “Tummy says yes.”

“I want rabbit.” She requested, meeting his eyes and holding him tighter every time he tried to set her down. “No.” She whined, getting fussy and watery eyed as though he was trying to get rid of her. Peter lightly mentioned that he didn’t have rabbit but offered to make her something special but he would need both hands to work. She contemplated if she was hungry enough to want to let him go and soon she nodded, letting up on her grip so he could put her in one of the barstools facing into the kitchen so she could watch him cooking for her. 

 

Peter hadn’t been shopping for awhile but he still had what he needed to make up a batch of french toast, figuring that even if he didn’t know what the little girl liked aside from rabbit it was a good bet that any child would like the sweet stickiness of maple syrup. He felt a little uneasy tending to the girl like this especially with Winter absent, but he didn’t exactly have much choice. The werewolf mostly ignored Olivia’s questions and comments about what he was doing as he cooked, listening to her babble on and grinning a bit when she started saying it smelled good.

“All right, eat up.” Peter dished her up a plate and spread butter on the hot toast, pouring syrup over it but the little girl just looked up at him expectantly, saying ‘bites please’ in her little voice. Peter’s brows furrowed at her hesitation, then the realization hit him, pulling her plate closer to him again and quickly cutting the toast up into little bite-sized pieces. He gave it back and like mother like daughter, the girl started picking up the syrupy bits with her fingers but for now Peter didn’t even attempt to get her to use a utensil. 

The first taste she got the little girl squealed with delight, attacking her food with a lot more enthusiasm. She ate both pieces he cooked for her and asked for more, so he made one more slice and watched her devour it, not realizing that a grin was tugging at his lips until she looked up at him and smiled in return. Peter mentally shook himself, the last thing he needed right now was any sort of attachment to this kid. Letting Winter go again was going to be hard enough.

After Olivia finished, Peter wiped her sticky hands off as best he could then carried her up to the bathroom, making the girl question what they were doing. “You’re getting a bath and then going to sleep, it’s past your bedtime.” He told her, setting her on her feet by the tub and jolting when she started playing with the toilet water the second he turned his back to get a towel out of the cabinet. 

“Hey, hey! That’s not for playing in, stop it.” He chided her gently, closing the toilet and setting her towel on top of it, then he started helping her out of her soiled clothing. He was pleased when she showed no fear of him handling her, at least that was a good sign that she hadn’t suffered much physical abuse at the hands of her captors, though the more cynical part of his mind disapproved of how easily she trusted him. Shouldn’t his child be more… Naturally skeptical? He wasn’t sure how that worked but either way he was just glad he’d found them before anything terrible enough happened to this girl to shatter that innocent sense of trust she possessed.

Olivia enjoyed the bath thoroughly, splashing her hands in the warm water and scooting under the faucet so it ran over her back, calling herself a ‘fishy’ and sucking her little rosebud mouth into fish lips. Peter got her scrubbed clean and dried off, carrying her wrapped in a towel to his room and setting her on his bed. He told her to stay put, slipping into Winter’s old room and finding her still fast asleep where he’d left her, rummaging through her closest quietly trying to find anything of Winter’s old things she’d left behind that might not drown Olivia as much as a shirt of his would. Even after the years apart he hadn’t been able to let go of any of her things, and it still pained him looking through them even now. He found a pink t-shirt that was at least a little smaller, taking it back into his room and finding Olivia crouching under her towel hidden except for a sliver of her face that she covered the second he walked in the room.

The girl announced from beneath the towel that she was hiding and he couldn’t find her, wriggling under her towel and Peter shook his head. “It kind of defeats the purpose of hiding when you tell someone you’re hiding from them.” He quipped, cocking his head slightly at the girl when she peeked out at him and hid again with a little squeal. Peter sighed, feeling more than a little ridiculous but laughing a bit in spite of himself. 

“Oh my, I wonder where Olivia has gone?” He asked no one in particular, leaning down and plucking the towel most of the way off of her. She giggled and squealed that he found her, kicking her legs and rolling to sit up. He tugged Winter’s shirt over her head and helped her find the arm holes though it did little good since the pooled off her much smaller limbs almost immediately, but at least it was clean.

“C’mon, you need to go to bed Livi.” He told her, scooping her up when she held out her arms to him again. She burrowed into his neck like before but Peter found he didn’t mind the closeness, especially now that she was clean. He rubbed his hand up and down her back as he carried her from his room to Winter’s, pausing when she requested to sleep with him. “No, no you sleep with mommy.” He responded gently, putting her down and pulling the blankets over her. He glanced from Olivia to Winter and felt a pang of remorse, wishing the peace on his lover’s sleeping face would last once she woke and knowing it wouldn’t.

Olivia stared up at him with her big blue eyes that mirrored his own. “But Mommy’s already sleeping without me.” She said as though it was only logical for her to join her father in his bed instead. “You stay here?” She asked, frowning when he shook his head and tucked her in beside Winter. She reluctantly agreed and let him leave her there, though in the back of her tiny mind he just didn’t know he needed her to sleep by his side right? Her mother was already dozing now it was her turn to tuck him in and make sure he wasn’t scared of those bad guys.

“Good night Daddy.” She whispered, patting his cheek and then rolling over onto her side, closing her eyes tight and pretending to go to sleep. She heard Peter get up, peeking out through one eye to see him leaving the darkened room and she waited until she heard his footsteps get more and more faint down the hall before she threw off the covers and bolted on her toes after him. She could hear the shower going and she giggled, sneaking into his bed and under the covers, waiting until he would come out and find her.

He came out in sleep pants, his hair still damp as he grabbed a book off the foot of his bed and carried it to one side, Olivia hiding beneath the covers. She peeked out again, “Boo.” She said, giggling, “Don’t sit on me.” She ordered, crawling under the covers to the other side of the bed so he could lie down but he didn’t. Peter tugged the blanket off her face and asked what she was doing out of bed and she shrugged and pointed to the mattress beneath her as though to indicate she technically wasn’t. Her father rolled his eyes and scooped her up and she whined at him to let her stay but he took her back to bed anyways to lie with her mother.

After about three times of this little game, interrupting him while he was reading and getting settled in bed himself, he finally caved on the fifth go around. Olivia scampered to him and climbed up the side of the bed, hoisting herself in his lap and then taking the spot beside him, lying into his side. “Me?” She prompted, pointing to the book and nodding to encourage him to read it aloud to her. She didn’t know what any of it meant but the sound of his voice soothed her to sleep and soon enough she was closing her eyes as she got comfortable. Peter whispered to her that she couldn’t stay here but he made no attempt at moving her any further than a couple feet over so he could comfortably lie down as well.

\----

Winter woke in the morning to find that her daughter wasn’t at her side and her heart raced even as she heard her tiny voice talking to someone. She recognized where she was, hated seeing that it looked as though she hadn’t even left him and more importantly she hated that their daughter had chosen to get out of bed for him so easily. “Toast. Toast, toast, toast. Daddy’s makin’ toast.” Olivia chanted, singing the words and slapping her hands on the cabinets as she circled around his feet. It killed her mother to see that when she didn’t know any of the bad parts and here Peter was playing father to a girl he never wanted.

“Olivia Rose, come here.” She said, indicating for the girl to stand before her. She looked her daughter up and down for injury, still feeling a little crappy herself. Olivia was clean, spotless even and she knew right then that Peter must have been taking care of her. Her gaze turned harsh towards the man who was watching them, “We’ll go hunting. I want you to say good bye to Mr. Hale because we have to go. Remember what we talked about? We have to keep hiding.” She cooed, “We’ll find you clean clothes okay?” She promised.

Olivia bounced on her heels, whining and whimpering at her mother’s suggestion. “But his name is Daddy. He’s my Daddy and he can come too. We’re making toast.” She hummed, making noises with her mouth and turning around to rush at Peter’s legs.

“Peter.” Winter said firmly when she straightened out, staring him down. “You and I both know that we’re not staying here and if you’ve indicated that to my daughter then I’m not going to be very happy. Give her to me. Now.” She insisted, watching him pick up the young girl and seeing it made her heart race with want and apprehension. It set a bitterness in her, to see him with her at all when she never wanted that to happen considering all the things he had said.

 

Peter barely managed to check his anger at Winter’s insinuation for Olivia’s sake, setting the girl down on a stool and quickly fixing her plate of food so she could start eating it. “Just eat your breakfast for now, okay? I need to talk to mommy for a minute.” He told the girl, giving her a grin when she nodded and started eating again with her hands, then glancing up at Winter and quickly circling the island in his kitchen and gripping the leopard’s upper arm, leading her out of the kitchen through the living room and into the hallway that lead to his office to give them some privacy.

“Of course I know you aren’t staying, and for the moment, none of us are. It’s too dangerous.” Peter hissed under his breath, keeping a firm grip on the leopard to ensure she remained and listened to what he had to say. She questioned his meaning, trying to pull from his grip but he held her fast, “As soon as we can get packed up we’re leaving. The people who took you will be able to trace us back here, we shouldn’t have even spent the night but you needed the rest, your body all but shut down last night.” Peter continued, his voice faltering a bit when he recalled exactly why she was in such a state and knowing he was responsible for the abuse and neglect she had suffered.

“I know that you hate me, and I understand completely. I accept that I lost the right to have any part in your life but what I will not accept letting you simply waltz out the door merely to get snatched up by those monsters again or more of the same. I’m taking you and Olivia to a safe place and I’m giving you the tools to hide yourself effectively, even from those of our own kind. That’s how they found out what you were in the first place right? Had another Were sniff you out? I can teach you to avoid detection entirely.” Peter explained, his temper flaring again when Winter buried the fear he could see brimming in her eyes, stubbornly insisting that they could get away without his help.

“Oh please Winter you can barely stand on your own two feet. You’re exhausted, malnourished, strained beyond belief and considering all you’ve been through it’s amazing you’re holding up as well as you are. Are you really willing to walk out right now, risk Olivia’s life on the slim chance that you’ll get enough distance between you and those hunting you to recover your strength enough to protect her? I’m the only one who can teach you how to throw them off your trail for good, to prevent anything like this from happening again. Like it or not, I’m you’re only option here.” Peter seethed, hating himself for the pain he knew he was causing the woman he loved, still loved even after all this time and his better judgement trying to convince him to let go of his feelings for her.

“As soon as you know how to fully disguise your nature, I’ll leave you and Olivia be, I swear it. I don’t want to cause you any more pain, but I won’t just let you needlessly throw your life away. I just have to know you’re safe, then I’ll be out of your lives for good, I promise. All right?” He urged, glancing away for a second at the sound of Olivia calling for them. He looked back at Winter, raising his brows, “Well? What’s it gonna be? Can we just do this the easy way, please?” He pleaded, only just now realizing that as he’d spoken he’d pushed Winter back against the wall, their bodies nearly touching and his lips only a perilous inch or two from hers. He wanted desperately to close the distance and kiss her, claim her again but he knew if he gave in to such an impulse now there was no way he’d be able to keep Winter with him short of threatening her life.

Winter kept her glare on the man she once loved for as long as she could, feeling the space between them closing but she did nothing to stop it. She barely heard Olivia’s voice from around the corner, wanting nothing more than to snatch her daughter up and take her away once more but that was out of spite towards Peter. She wasn’t thinking quite as straight as she needed to, looking up and meeting his eyes, her lips parted as he asked her what her final verdict was.

It was only then that she realized how close he was to her, wanting nothing more than to close that space, run her hands over his chest again, feel his warmth and his strong embrace but she shook herself, remembering all he had done or rather everything that he hadn’t done. “You don’t get to look at me like that.” She finally said, pushing him back away from her though it was harder with how easily he could fight her insistence.

Winter moved around him and stood with her arms crossed, feeling suddenly self-conscious as she looked up at him. “You get a week. One. To teach me and to spend time with her but know that I’ll hate every second of it as much as I hate you for stepping up to the plate too late. Don’t you dare get attached because you might be blood to her but you’re not family.” She hissed, turning on her heel and going back into the kitchen, trying to keep from crying as she went to tell Olivia she was getting cleaned up and then they would be packing for a trip. The little girl accepted that and despite Peter’s insistence Winter couldn’t manage to keep any food down, nothing that came from him and likely nothing at all with the way her stomach was turning, a thousand things running through her mind.

She went upstairs and took a bath, taking some time for herself until the water went cold and her fingers pruned. The mother climbed out, wiping her eyes as she heard Peter interacting with Olivia downstairs while she dressed in one of her nicer outfits she had left here at his place. It was strange to her that he would let her go so easily and yet he had kept all of her stuff right where she left it when she left him. Winter sniffled and picked up her bag, taking it downstairs and seeing Peter already packed, calling to her and trying to be civil when he asked if she was ready. She wouldn’t even look at him, it stirred up too many old memories, avoiding looking around the space at all as she clung to her bag. “We’ll have to wash some of Livi’s stuff wherever we’re going. She can’t live in clothes ten times bigger than her.” She said, pulling back when Peter tried to take her bag. “I don’t need your help!” She snapped at him, flushing with embarrassment right after.

“Just give me my daughter.” She whispered, reaching out to take Olivia and carry her out the door, following Peter and glaring at him when he tried to open the door for her. They didn’t have a seat for the young girl so the best was her sitting in Winter’s lap for the few hours it took to get where they were going. Peter explained on the way the location and how he had come upon it, belonging to his sister once. “I really don’t care, Peter.” She said, her eyes watering again, face tight with anger and sadness as she held onto Olivia who had drifted off, napping in her lap. “I want you to teach me how to protect us and that’s it. It’s over with from there. Stop… Stop trying to make conversation with me like nothing ever changed, like we’re old school friends.” She said, getting out when the car stopped and rushing to the door of the place with her stuff and her daughter in her grasp.

Peter followed a moment after, unlocking it and showing her where she could sleep with Olivia. She nodded, putting the girl down and tucking her in bed. “Anything is better than what we’re used to.” She quipped, avoiding his hardened gaze at her jab towards him. She tucked the girl in and Peter must have heard her stomach grumbling, asking if she wanted him to go get her something or make her something if there was anything left in the cabinets anymore.

Winter pushed him out of the room, closing the door to Olivia’s temporary space and staring up at him. “I’m fine. Please just stop. You don’t get to play hero for us anymore. You just don’t! You’re not my protector anymore, you’re not my lover, you’re not my boyfriend and most importantly you’re not her dad! Olivia is mine! I raised her. You can’t come in and just… throw a curve ball and try to make me forget all about it. You can’t just play the perfect dad when you weren’t there for three years! More than that. Peter I gave birth on my own!!” She sobbed, shaking her head and trying to keep from completely screaming she was so torn up at the moment. “I really really—hate you for what you did, Peter.” She whispered.

 

“I am perfectly, painfully aware of that, but if you want to scream at me we should take this discussion elsewhere, hmm?” Peter hissed, taking Winter by the arm as was beginning to be his habit it seemed and towing her away from the shut door Olivia was sleeping behind. He let Winter pull out of his grasp this time, following a pace or two behind her as she stormed down the hall back out into the main living area of the rustic beach house he had taken for himself, it wasn’t like Talia could use it any more after all.

Winter seated herself on one of the plush chairs in the recessed seating area in the center of the room, tight-lipped for the moment and even if he weren’t able to smell it he would’ve known she was struggling not to cry. Peter took the chance to go to the kitchen instead, searching through the cupboards and grabbing a can of beef stew. It wasn’t much but at least it would be something in her stomach. He fixed it for her on the stove, shaking his head slightly when he heard her stomach growling from fifteen feet away. 

Peter brought the bowl over and set it down on the table in front of her, taking a seat across from her and watching her trying not to ogle the humble bowl of stew like it was a five-star three course meal. “Despite what you imagine, I’m not playing at anything here. I’m not trying to be a hero, or your boyfriend, or dad of the year, whatever. Far from it. It’s simple: I want you and Olivia to live, to thrive, if at all possible. In order for that to happen, I need to teach you what I know before I can let you go off on your own again, and in order for that to happen, you need to be at least physically able to do so. So… Just eat, will you?” Peter exclaimed in an even tone, his exasperation only getting the better of him when she still refused to pick up the food.

“Oh for the love of god Winter! Stop acting like a petulant child! You want to make me suffer for what I did, fine do it to your heart’s content but don’t harm yourself or Olivia in the process!” Peter snapped, springing up out of his chair unable to sit still any longer, “I can’t change the choices I made in the past, I can’t make up for what you had to go through the last three years, I know that, and it kills me. What I can do is just this, trying to give you what you need to keep you safe from here on out. I’m trying to help you, that’s all, goddamnit.” He started off yelling but the more he spoke the more raw he became, his voice trailing off knowing that he had only himself to blame for the way Winter was acting now.

“Please just, just take care of yourself, all right? I’m not doing any of this hoping it’ll somehow earn me forgiveness. I know I’m well beyond that. I’m just doing it because I want you… And Olivia to be safe. That’s all that matters to me.” Peter’s voice dwindled to a bare whisper, the weight of his own guilt stealing the air from his lungs. He wandered from the space and out the glass doors that opened up to the beach, figuring she might be more inclined to eat if he left her be. He just hoped she wouldn’t do something like dump it down the sink while he wasn’t watching.

He leaned against the railing around the back patio, listening to the waves crashing and breathing the cool salty air in deeply. Peter had spent so much of the last three years telling himself that Winter had brought whatever fate befell her on herself, trying to justify his own failings and pass the guilt off of his own shoulders. But the truth was that every moment of suffering Winter and their daughter had endured were all on him. If he hated himself for it, he could hardly blame Winter for hating him for it as well, he just never imagined that it would be this hard to cope with. He never imagined that even after all this time and all the venom Winter had for him, that he would still love her so completely, and that just made everything hurt worse.

Winter’s eyes finally spilled over with the tears she could no longer hold back, still feeling worn and tired despite sleeping long through the night. This morning had just made it harder for her, seeing Peter with Olivia like that, watching him pretend as if he had been there the whole time when really he hadn’t and here Olivia was, accepting that as her father. Perhaps because her mother never found anyone else to fulfill that role… Honestly she never wanted anyone else.

She wiped her eyes and watched him as best she could, leaning over and grabbing the bowl of stew he had made her just moments ago. She didn’t care that it was lukewarm at best, tearing into it like she hadn’t seen food in ages when really it had only been a few days at most. She finished it off, using her fingers to scrape up what remained in the bottom, practically licking the bowl clean until she was satisfied, overly satisfied.

Her eyes flickered up to see Peter still standing on his own just outside on the patio and she chewed on her lip, considering what he had said to her. The were couldn’t stand it, getting to her feet and wandering out towards the door. He turned instantly when he heard her coming, looking away as he asked her if she ate or came to throw the meal in his face. “No. Someone told me not to act like a child. So I’m not.” She quipped, going to stand just opposite him on the porch.

“You know it’s funny how you tell me to take care of myself… to take care of Olivia. Because I’ve done that since I left you. I’ve done that since you decided you didn’t want us. I never came back because I knew you would never want me with her attached. The Peter Hale way right?” She continued, trying to talk over him as he raised his voice at her again for having to constantly remind him of his mistakes. He claimed he knew just what kind of man he was but sometimes she wasn’t so sure, requesting that she stop repeating herself.

“No, Peter!” Winter screamed at him, her voice cracking as she broke down, crying as she spoke further. “I spent every day wondering what you did with the Desert Wolf. Wondering if you made her believe she was loved by you just the same and then you took her baby and gave her away.” She said, shaking her head and no longer holding back her tears, shaking as they streamed down her cheeks. “I’ve had to look at Olivia and see 90% you in her! Every day! Yet I loved her just as well, no matter how much it kills me to see parts of you in her. No matter how much she acts like you, walks like you… Don’t you tell me that I don’t take care of us because I’ve done a hell of a lot fuckin’ more than you!” She reminded him, jabbing his chest with her finger.

She sobbed and flinched when the man grabbed her all the sudden, pinning her wrists back and she thought for a brief moment he might hit her, causing her to tremble and close her eyes like she had every time those cruel men came into her cell. He demanded that she open her eyes and listen to him, hissing out the words about how his relationship with the Desert Wolf was entirely different, how he loved the woman standing before him always, no matter how many bad things she said about him. His voice grew softer, promising a few more times that he loved her, his lips drawing close to hers just like they had before while she cried.

Peter grasped her to keep upright, sealing their lips and starting to kiss her deeply. She let him do so for only a second or two before turning her head back and forth to try and break their contact, fighting his hold and roughly shoving him in the chest to get him away from her. “Don’t you dare.” She whispered, feeling him in her space again as he pleaded that they needed this, that he wanted her still and it made her heart race with a mix of want and apprehension. He kissed her again and she put up far less of a fight, melting into him until her mind came back to her and she remembered again. Winter broke away once more, shaking her head, “You can’t kiss me like that anymore. It doesn’t work like that. I’m not yours anymore… You made your choice a long time ago and I can’t fix that for you.” She muttered, her breathing still heavy as she looked up at him, keeping her mouth turned from his though the distance between them was little.

 

Peter’s grip on Winter held fast, keeping the brunette in his space and as much as he knew she hated him right now for kissing her he could see that she wanted it just as badly as he did despite it. She kept her face turned down and away from his but he could see the rose blooming on her cheeks despite the darkness and smell her need for him mixed with her anxiety. An upstanding gentleman would back away at this point, not try and tip the conflict within her towards giving in to what shouldn’t happen but what they both wanted, but as she and pretty much everyone else in Peter’s life would be quick to point out, he was no gentleman.

“You’re absolutely right.” Peter panted, his whole body on fire for the woman in his arms, “I have no right to kiss you, touch you like this… I don’t have the right to love you but yet I still do, and being around you again is driving me mad.” He let go of one of her arms to gently tip her face up to his, catching her gaze that was colored with want but also apprehension. “Just look me in the eye and tell me that if we go to our own beds that you won’t be up all night wishing we hadn’t stopped here.” He breathed, balancing on the edge of a knife waiting for her response.

Winter started to speak, her voice cracking with emotion on the first syllable and she tipped her chin up, closing the small distance left between them sealing her lips to his. Peter’s desire flared and he growled low in his chest, practically crushing her willowy frame to his as he responded ravenously, putting every moment he’d spent aching for her the past three years into his kiss.

Winter clung to him trying desperately to keep up with his onslaught, desperate little noises of want escaping her throat as he tasted her fully, pressing her against the railing and trailing his mouth down her neck to bite at her flesh. She moaned his name and he reached down to start working his belt open while she yanked her own shirt up over her head and then his, neither of them minding the cool ocean breeze. The beach house was isolated and there was no chance of them being seen, but in the heat of the moment it probably wouldn’t have mattered to either of them if they were on a busy public street

Peter tugged her bra off and tasted her full breasts, his hands roaming all over her and hooking into her jeans, pushing them down along with her panties to pile at her feet and she stepped out of them, getting his own pants and briefs pushed out of the way enough for her to grasp his throbbing length and start stroking him. Peter groaned and pressed every inch of their bare bodies together as possible, neither one of them willing to risk stopping or even slowing down lest better sense prevail over one of them if they stopped to focus on how unwise it was for them to be indulging in each other like this.

Peter grabbed Winter’s thigh and dragged her leg up to hook over his hip, trapping her gaze and pressing his brow to hers as he thrust into her slick heat. They both cried out and Winter braced both her hands on the railing behind her to keep herself steady as he started slamming into her, her body arching into his motions as naturally as if the last time they had been together was yesterday rather than years ago. Peter cursed under his breath as he buried himself in her dripping core over and over, the feeling of her so familiar and yet exhilarating at the same time. He slid his other hand between them, swirling his fingers over her clit wanting her to build up as quickly as possible, knowing he wouldn’t be able to last long this first time after going without her for so long but refusing to finish alone.

Winter cried out, whimpering as Peter took her rough from the very start. She hadn’t had anyone since him and she wondered in the very back of her mind if the same was true on his end. Hoping she had meant enough that he at least didn’t start immediately sleeping around again. “Yes… Oh God, Peter!” She breathed, fluttering around him within mere moments of their bodies connecting and the added sensation of his fingers on her clit working wonders and bringing her closer to that familiar edge.

She clawed at his wrist, eyeing him with their eyes both aglow with their want for one another. He took her harder and her head lulled back, grip tightening on his arm and the railing behind her as she arched back and moaned his name on a harsh exclamation, falling over the edge with him buried deep inside her, filling her up with his warm seed and making her mewl. Her balance wavered but he snatched at her arms, pulling her to wrap around him as he rode out their high until he was spent.

The leopard didn’t know what to feel, hugging him like she used to and trying to urge herself not to completely fall apart into a mess of tears. Peter murmured affectionate things to her, the way he only spoke when it was the two of them, a side of him that she had only been privy to. He kissed her neck, slipping out of her heat and adjusting her light weight in his arms to carry her back inside.

She still felt tired, perhaps that was why the fight had stopped or maybe it was because she still loved him more than anyone. “Peter…” She whispered, her eyes watering as he laid her down on his bed upstairs instead, neither of them bothered or concerned about the lack of clothing during their trek upstairs. Her lover hummed questioningly, “We shouldn’t be doing this.” She stated, tears spilling over as she leaned back fully and he kissed along her neck and shoulders, making her purr despite the fact that she was crying.

Peter lifted his head and gently asked her if she really wanted him to stop, reaching up to wipe the tears from her eyes only for more to follow when she shook her head. “No.” Winter admitted softly, “I want you every second that I have here.” She sniffled, pulling him for a kiss that was slow at first but steadily boiled over into something more heated and desperate again. She could feel his body responding to her once more, his lips leaving hers and kissing down her chest to her belly, his scruffy cheeks brushing her thighs and making her mewl with anticipation.

His lips found her center, pushing her legs apart and working her button with his tongue, driving her body up rapidly until she shattered completely with a cry of his name, trying to be quieter knowing their daughter was just down the hall. Deep in her heart she wanted this, to go to bed with him, wake up with him, care for their little girl together, with her scampering about the house but on the surface she was still fearful he wouldn’t want that. Peter lifted off her, licking his lips and closing his eyes while he affectionately kissed her belly. She hadn’t even seen him this worshipful before, brushing her fingers through his hair and guiding him up to her level. His eyes opened and their gazes met as she brushed her lips against his own, “Please.” She whispered against his ear, lips trailing along his jaw. “Please take me.” She encouraged, rocking up against his arousal desperate for more.

 

Peter groaned roughly at Winter’s pleading, he never thought he’d hear the sweet sound of her asking for him again and it drove up his need for her to a nearly unbearable degree. He gripped her jaw to hold her in place and kissed her ravenously, giving her exactly what she requested slowly pushing into her slick core. He swallowed her mewls as he pumped in and out of her, his rhythm far more controlled this time now that he wasn’t fueled on pure desperation to have her.

The werewolf gently turned her head as took her, nipping and kissing at her neck while his opposite hand guided her leg up to wrap around him and she followed on her own with the other, it felt so good to be connected to her like this he found that words were tumbling out of him that he couldn’t seem to stymie, “God I missed you… There wasn’t a day that you weren’t on my mind. Winter I haven’t- There hasn’t been anyone else, I couldn’t be content with another after you. I don’t think I ever will be, even if all I get is this short time with you it’s enough.” He confessed, his pace increasing and his voice getting more ragged as he neared the brink.

Winter cried out as she found her peak, clamping around him drawing him in deeper and he followed her over the edge, kissing her to muffle her sounds since she didn’t seem capable of doing so herself anymore. Peter drew out her orgasm for as long as he could, finally slowing to a stop and resting atop her for a moment trying to regain his composure. 

He wasn’t used to feeling so raw, so exposed like this, usually when he had sex everything he did was perfectly orchestrated, every touch and sound designed to either get the reaction he wanted from his partner or to simply get what he was after for himself, it had even been that way with Winter for the most part but now it was different. Now Peter was simply trying to quench his hunger for her, to make her lose her mind and savor her pleasure while he could since he knew in the back of his mind that this wasn’t going to last.

Peter slowly withdrew from her after a moment and Winter clung to him, pleading for more but he could see that she was barely hanging on to consciousness, maybe she did want more but her body was still far from recovered from all the strain it had been put through of late. He hushed her softly, kissing her lips, cheek and brow as he rolled to his side and prompted her to turn into his frame, holding her close as she struggled to maintain.

“Rest now, Kitten. Sleep.” He soothed, his old term of endearment for her rolling off his tongue naturally but the second he uttered it his insides clenched, wondering if it would infuriate her for him to call her that again. Maybe she might not be happy about it later, but in her tired, satiated state Winter simply smiled and nuzzled into his chest, sighing deeply and sleep claimed her within seconds.

Winter hummed at the familiarity of the nickname Peter called her years before, having the sense that thing had never changed between them, like she never left. She smiled, sighing and curling into him so she could drift off in his arms. The leopard slept through the night peacefully for once in her lover’s arms again.

When she woke her eyes flickered open, spotting her old lover with his arm wrapped around her frame still. She chewed on her lip, moving as carefully as she could and breathing slowly to avoid stirring him awake as well. He was as naked as she and the were remembered every part of their night together, tracing his chest with her fingers while he slept before her. Her eyes watered, scooting as close as she could to rest her head on his chest, nuzzling into his frame once again, desperate to feel that security though there was still a part of her that felt he might be leading her on she simply couldn’t help herself.

Quietly she cried into his broad chest until she heard him stirring and she quickly pulled back, pretending to wake only just when he moved. She frantically wiped at her eyes, avoiding his tired gaze and the ache between her legs that told her she wanted more even if her heart couldn’t handle it. “I didn’t want to sleep in here. Why would you let me fall asleep with you?” She asked him in a low tone, trying to sound angry again as he asked where she was going when she got up out of his bed only to realize she was completely bare. “Because that’s how it has to be.” She whispered, tears in her eyes again as she grabbed at the throw blanket towards the foot of his bed, taking it with her for cover and strutting out knowing he was watching her every step and it killed her that she had to leave him at all.

She wiped her eyes again and went into the guestroom where Olivia was lying there on her own, groggily rubbing at her sleep filled eyes. “Why you cry?” The little girl asked her mother, scooting to her when she sat down on the edge of the bed. Winter leaned over and kissed the top of her head, brushing her hair with her fingers to smooth it out.

“Because sometimes Mommy needs to cry, baby. Can you be strong for mommy like she does for you?” She cooed to her little girl, hiding her nudity beneath the blanket she stole from Peter’s bed and hoping her three year old wasn’t smart enough quite yet to grasp where it truly belonged. Olivia paid the object no mind, promising she could be tough while asking why she had to. “I’m scared and I don’t want to be scared.” She whispered, pulling her little one over her lap and cradling her while she grasped at her teddy. “I love you, Peanut.”

Winter spent an hour at best with her daughter upstairs, the pair of them cuddling and then getting ready for the day. She carried Livi in her arms down to where she could hear Peter looking through the cabinets for something to make for breakfast, smelling that familiar scent of his body wash… the deodorant and cologne he wore and it made her heart race. She refused to cry again, sucking it up for their daughter’s sake and carrying her into the other room when she called for her father.

She handed the young girl over to Peter, giving him something of a tight smile when he took her and very gently made mention of the fact that they would need to go shopping if they were going to survive here for more than a couple hours. The leopard nodded, continuing to do so when Olivia asked if she could tag along with her daddy. “Umm.” She thought carefully about what to say to him when he was holding what was most precious to her. “Yeah that’s fine just—“ Her eyes started to water again and she internally cursed at herself. “I’d rather you walk if it’s close enough… I don’t like her being in the car without a child seat and umm—I’d like to know where you’re going exactly.” She requested, her voice small feeling a tiny bit of guilt at the fact that she even had to ask, not certain she trusted Peter to bring her home.

 

Peter winced a bit at Winter’s strained answer, knowing he couldn’t comply with her wishes so he gently set Olivia down. “It’s a decent drive into town I’m afraid. Part of this place’s appeal is its isolation.” He explained, looking down at his daughter who was insisting that he pick her up again, clinging to his leg should he try to leave without her. He glanced from Winter to Olivia and back, conflicted on which female in his life he was going to disappoint.

“Look sweetheart, I need you stay here and keep your mother company while I go out for awhile. But if you behave while I’m gone, I’ll take you for a walk on the beach, all right?” Peter bargained, seeing that Olivia wasn’t happy about being left but his offer seemed to win her over. She agreed and requested that he bring buy things to make her french toast, making him chuckle lightly. “I can do that. Look after Mommy while I’m gone, okay?” He told her, glancing back at Winter who at least seemed marginally happier about the arrangement he’d made.  
“I’ll be back soon.” He assured, not certain why he felt the need to do so when he was just going out for groceries, but he knew at least part of it was out of fear that Winter would take this chance to bolt despite not being in any shape for running off as well as having no idea where she was. “You’ll be here when I get back?” He asked under his breath, glancing at Olivia making sure she didn’t catch his words and get confused or upset. Winter stared at him for a tense moment, finally nodding and he returned the gesture, still unable to shake the feeling of tightness in his chest as he walked out to the car.

Peter drove into the small town ten minutes away, getting a couple week’s worth of groceries even though Winter had only given him a week. It was partly wishful thinking, and partly a simple lack of knowledge about what he should buy for Olivia that he hadn’t even considered would be a problem till he was standing in the breakfast aisle debating on which kind of gummy fruit snacks to get, if any. He didn’t know what little kids liked or ‘should’ eat, so he mostly focused on getting things he remembered Winter liking and several bags worth of things he just hoped would be good for a three year old girl.

Peter also stopped off at three different other places till he found the other item he wanted, a child safety seat for the car. He finally got one he felt would work for Olivia’s size and installed it in the back of his car, cocking his head a bit quizzically at the sight of it. He shook his head and hurried back, half expecting to find the cabin empty when he arrived but to his relief Winter was playing some kind of singing hand-clapping game with her in front of the fire she’d got going in the living room. Winter glanced over and saw the inordinate number of grocery bags he had slung over his arms, asking if he needed help bringing things in and before he could answer Olivia was off like a shot, proclaiming that she would help as she scampered out the still open door.

“Olivia Rose!” Winter yelled after her, heart racing when she thought the worst things possible about her child taking off even if it was only just out front. They didn’t know this place and she had no knowledge of basic dangers, having always been in her arms most her life, Livi didn’t know not to talk to strangers so much nor to look both ways before crossing a street. Those things hadn’t been all that important when it was just the two of them usually secluded in the woods or hiding in a shelter when they could manage it for a few weeks on end.

The mother jogged past Peter, knocking a bag or two out of his hands in her frantic haste. She hated when she couldn’t physically see her little girl, probably because she was so used to having had her within reach since she was born. “Sorry. I’m sorry.” Winter said to Peter, trying to quickly help him while looking around the end of the car for her daughter. “Livi.” She repeated, stumbling over herself and making her way outside finally. She went to the back of the car then the front, not finding her as quickly as she wanted. “Olivia?” She called.

“Boo!” The little girl jumped up from the floor of the car and poked her head through the cracked window, giggling and not sensing her mother’s distress.

Winter jolted and pulled open the door, breathing heavily and shaking her head. “Olivia you know games like that aren’t funny. Remember what we talked about? I don’t want you out of mommy’s view. Now come inside.” She instructed, indicating for the girl to follow.

Livi shook her head, “Mommy look!” She pointed, indicating to the car seat that was now present. “Like magic. Daddy can take me on rides.” She insisted, fighting her mother when she tried to grab for her to come out of the car. Olivia hoisted herself up into the chair and managed within a few moments to figure out the belts and buckles, strapping herself in and waiting like her father might simply jump in and take her somewhere.

“Oliva. Please. It’s cold out here and you don’t have your coat on. You’re not even out of your pjs yet, sweetie.” Winter tried again, feeling defeated the more that her daughter refused to listen to her. After about ten minutes or so she heard Peter’s voice from behind her, coming up to stand by the opened door and ask if they were helping with the groceries or not. “We’re trying but someone seems to think the car seat means it’s time for bye-bye.” She muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and half leaning into him subconsciously.

Peter rubbed her lower back perhaps out of habit as he turned and looped around to the other side of the car, the sensation sending chills up her spine. He opened the opposite door and stuck his head in to talk to Livi, reminding her about being good and his promise earlier to take her to the beach, bargaining that if she didn’t come in and help him with French toast he would have to eat it all alone and walk the beach without her. “Why?” She asked, pouting at him while he said she needed to listen to her mother.

Olivia sighed and stuck her arms out, letting him unbuckle her and lift her out of the seat to take her inside. Winter felt at odds, glad that Livi would listen and obey but upset that it wasn’t to her. She looped around to the back and grabbed the last couple bags of groceries, following behind them and into the kitchen. She packed away the rest of what Peter bought, thanking him for caring for them once again. He asked her if she was going to join them for breakfast making and walking on the beach.

She tucked her hair aside and shook her head, making herself smile though it was tired. “No that’s okay. I think I might have a poptart. Sounds kinda good. Then you two can have your time, she wants you anyways.” She admitted, pulling out a foiled package from the box of poptarts and tearing it opened right there to eat it while she watched them.

Peter didn’t miss the note of spite in Winter’s tone, his brow furrowing but he refrained from defending himself and his lack of control over if Olivia took a shine to him or not, not wishing to ignite an argument in front of their daughter. He allowed the small girl to help him cook this time, letting her help soak slices of bread in his egg-wash mixture and holding her in one arm while he cooked the toast on the stove, trying to explain in a way that a three-year old could comprehend why eating cooked meals was better than raw rabbit when she questioned the item not being on the menu yet again.

He tried to ignore the holes Winter’s gaze was boring into his back as they cooked, glancing at her briefly over his shoulder when the leopard commented that there was nothing better about his method, learning to hunt and eat game was just as good as preparing a meal in a kitchen and cheaper to boot, but he knew she was mostly speaking out of hurt that she hadn’t been able to provide things like a roof and hot meals to her little girl for the most part.

Peter nodded as he scooped the last slice of toast out of the frypan onto the stack he had built on a plate beside it, “That is true it’s far more economical, but not exactly what I’d call a balanced diet for someone who isn’t a jungle cat most of the time. But now that daddy found you, he can make sure that you and mommy always have the means to have food like this.” He spoke to Olivia in theory but both he and Winter knew better, his nerves getting the better of him as he smiled artificially at the woman standing on the other side of the kitchen island.

He expected to feel a little better getting his shot in, but he found that seeing Winter’s eyes water only made him feel worse. The leopard took the remnants of her pop tart and told them she was going to go get a bath while they ate and played on the beach, and it took all of Peter’s will not to chase after her and apologize. He knew that he had no one but himself to blame for Winter keeping herself and Olivia hidden from him, but he wasn’t exactly the model of gracious behavior when in his mind he was trying to make up for that now and Winter was continuing to remind him over and over that it would never be enough.

The werewolf stowed his hurt and ire for the moment, focusing on Olivia and getting her fed then changed from her pjs and bundling her up in her small worn out coat and hat to walk the beach awhile. As he dressed her he made a note of the sizes of everything he put on her, deciding to go out and get her some new clothes as well before the week was done. He put on his own black peacoat and scarf, walking out hand in hand with his daughter being careful to match his pace to her far smaller strides.

They wandered up and down the shore, partly walking side by side and partly with him carrying her, pointing out a few sea birds as they flew by and stooping to grab shells and stones for her to fling back into the surf. Peter got the same sense of satisfaction with Olivia as he had when he’d first met Winter, seeing the world from her untainted perspective was refreshing and heartbreaking all at the same time. He knew he was getting attached to his little girl even quicker than he’d fallen for her mother, maybe it was paternal instinct or maybe it was just that she didn’t know all the bad parts about him and so it just felt good having someone unabashedly love him again.

After awhile Peter set Olivia down, grabbing a small stick and directing her to watch what he was doing, “Do you know what this is?” He asked as he wrote her name in the sand, smiling when she shook her head and he told her each letter, sounding them out with her to form her name making the little girl squeal in delight. “See these are the letters that make your name. There are lots of letters that make up all the words we say and all the names for things we have. But these letters are the most special, because they spell Olivia.” He told her, grinning with genuine mirth at her excitement over this new activity, showing her the letters for his name and Winter’s as well.

Olivia cooed at the drawings he made in the sand, flopping down on her bottom and taking a smaller stick from him when he offered it to her to try and copy what he was doing. “O-L-I-V-A!” She proclaimed, finishing off and smiling back at him, “Olivia!” She pointed for him to see, giggling despite herself when he reached out and drew the second ‘I’ in the sand between the ‘V’ and ‘A’. “Now?” She asked, grinning proudly when he nodded and told her she was right.

She clapped, sitting by his feet while he stood and stared out into the water. “Sit.” She requested, pulling at his pant leg and he followed her guidance, dropping down next to her and letting her sit between his outstretched legs. She drew once more, writing out Daddy next to her own name and pointing again for him to see. He nodded, content on watching her do it on her own and she ended with a little heart between each of their names. “Livi hearts Daddy.” She murmured to herself, leaning back against his leg and bracing herself on her hands.

She watched him pick up his little stick again and he drew out ‘Mommy’ with their names, following with three tiny stick figures and explaining that it was meant to be them. Olivia smiled and pushed his stick back so she could copy him again, drawing one more stick figure in the sand. “Will you write ‘Malia’?” She questioned, getting fidgety and climbing over his legs back and forth, curling her toes in the sand and then burying her shoes while he took a moment to respond. He spoke up, asking who Malia was and she distractedly answered, digging a hole in the sand. “She’s my big sister.” She informed him through a hum.

The little girl squeaked when he picked her up and wrote out Malia on the ground, quickly asking her how she knew about her. “She’s in Mommy’s nigh-night stories. I love her.” She said, giggling when Peter pulled her back again from getting distracted and asked her if her mother told her about other people besides Malia. She nodded, “Yes.”

She sighed when her father asked if he could hear the things that her mom had told her about her family. “Hmm… Handsome Uncle Derek is not as handsome as Daddy.” She said, her tongue poking out past her lips as she concentrated on drawing stick figures. “He protected Mommy and me in his home and gave Mommy moneys to take care of me. I love him.” She informed him. “She said Daddy had lots of family but they got hurt and it hurt you. The bad men.”

Olivia sighed, tracing lines in the sand and leaning back against her father’s chest while he held her on his outstretched leg. “Mommy got hurt too but she’s okay now because Daddy saaaaaved her. Are you okay now, Daddy?” She asked him, lifting up his arm as if looking for signs of injury. "I'll save you." She hummed, wobbling back and forth on his leg until she happily flopped in the sand with a smile up at him.

Peter shook his head at the little girl lying in the sand with her small legs still hung over his thigh, smiling and resting his large hand on her chest letting her grab onto his fingers. “I feel safer already knowing you’ve got my back, squirt.” He chuckled, hoisting her to sit up again and brushing the sand from her back. He glanced over Olivia’s head back to the house and saw Winter standing on the deck watching them, and he knew with her superior senses like his she could easily hear everything he and their daughter had been saying, depending on when she came out to observe them.

He nodded slightly at her, the ghost of a smile tugging at his lips but he still felt like he had a lead weight in the pit of his stomach. She disappeared back inside and he sighed roughly. Peter had lived with his remorse for years, but being with Olivia and Winter now just made everything feel more raw, more exposed. The fact that he was starting to dread saying goodbye to Olivia in particular unnerved him. He kept reminding himself that he only had a few more days with her, and maybe Winter would finally accept him helping her at least financially, and that that was good enough. It would have to be good enough.

“Come on, show me how you write your name again and then we’ll go back inside.” Peter coached his daughter, watching her write out her name in crooked letters in the sand and feeling a surge of happiness at the girl’s achievement. She was fast approaching the age when she would start school, and while she hadn’t had any exposure to such things Peter could see that Livi was smart, knew she’d take to it like a fish to water if she only got the chance. He was surprised by how strongly he felt about her being educated, he wanted to make sure she had the chance to learn and grow and absorb all the knowledge she could. He decided that whether Winter liked it or not, he was going to provide for them so his daughter could have those things, he was determined to make sure it happened.

Peter watched Olivia draw in the sand a bit more, finally getting up and dusting off his jeans and doing the same to her small legs and bottom, smiling when she automatically raised her arms up to him to be carried and he did so, swinging her around once before settling her against his side making her squeal and giggle. He barely managed to keep her on the stone tile of the kitchen area to take off her sandy shoes and coat before she ran over to Winter and started telling her the things he had shown her, beside herself with pride and excitement that she now knew how to write her own name.

“Do you want to show Mommy?” Peter asked, kicking his own shoes off and shedding his coat and scarf on the hook by the doors prompting both girls to look at him as he crossed the space to the remaining grocery bags that had a few odds and ends that weren’t food still in them. He’d picked up something for the girl on a whim, now very pleased that he’d followed the impulse considering how much she’d liked writing in the sand.

Peter pulled out a small box of crayons and a pad of construction paper, carrying them over to where Winter sat with Olivia in her lap on the floor by the fire and handing them over. “You can use these if you like.” He told her, settling opposite them with his back against the couch and watching as Olivia planted herself on the rug between them clumsily working the box open and inspecting the crayons curiously. The girl asked if the brightly colored sticks were candy, sticking the end of the red one in her mouth and Peter jolted, quickly extracting it from her lips and wiping the drool off the waxy tip on his shirt with a little grimace.

“No no honey, here look.” Peter uttered, leaning over and opening the pad of paper to a blank pink page, drawing a straight line with the red crayon. Olivia gasped with delight, never having seen something like it and snatching it from him, scribbling furiously on the paper with a huge grin of wonder on her face. Peter never expected such a simple thing to make her so happy, and he didn’t even realize how hugely he was smiling watching her try out each new color till he glanced up and saw Winter staring at him with a fond smile on her own features, one he hadn’t seen in a long time till she quickly covered it up when he observed her and he did the same.

Winter averted her eyes from Peter not wanting him to see she was smiling at him for how well he cared for their daughter. Here he hadn’t even been around her but a couple days and he was already grasping how to talk to her and soothe her, teach her even more than what Winter could. Olivia scribbled and scribbled on her paper, skimming past the page and onto the table beneath it. Winter had to try not to laugh as Peter flinched at the mess, scolding her lightly for having drawn where she wasn’t supposed to and she seemed to understand instantly what he meant, getting back to drawing on her paper.

“Look!” Livi squealed, having sketched out a picture with five stick figures on it just like she had done in the sand with her dad, each one a different color and height but all of them wearing the same wide smile. “Uncle Derek, Mommy, Malia, Me, and Daddy!” She said, pointing to each on in turn that she had labeled, drawing a big boxed house around them, her image nowhere near glamourous but she didn’t care one bit.

The little girl grinned when both her parents complimented her artwork, praising her for how well she did and how smart she was and she soaked it up happily. They spent the rest of the afternoon watching her color, coloring with her and then watching Olivia’s very first movie. She had never seen a television before, her eyes wide the whole time as they watched ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ That was until she fell asleep on Peter’s chest, the man lying out on the couch while Winter was curled up on the loveseat by herself, not paying attention to the film but instead gazing at Peter longingly and enjoying the sight of him rubbing their daughter’s small back in comfort.

He got up after about an hour when the movie ended, mentioning that he was going to put her to bed and Winter nodded, sitting up herself and putting away the mess the girl made. Peter wandered back out after a few minutes, helping her clean and then taking the picture Olivia had drawn. Winter watched him carefully go to the kitchen, following behind him silently and seeing how he delicately and somewhat proudly posted the girls’ picture up on the fridge with a tiny magnet.

She stayed silent for another moment or two before reaching out and taking his hand, pulling him to her and guiding his arms around her frame while she looped her own about his thick neck, standing on her toes to do so. “Things might be different between us, Peter but it means a lot that you’re helping us… especially when you don’t have any obligation.” She whispered, hoisting herself up a bit taller so she could meet his lips, closing her eyes and kissing him slowly, not wishing to talk anymore but simply focus on what physical affections she could offer without feeling guilty later.

“When do we have to start our lessons? You’re supposed to teach me to hide my scent too.” She breathed, kissing him again and noting the way he didn’t respond like she was craving right now. “Peter, please.” She pleaded, raking her fingers through his hair, “Don’t make me beg for you. It’s the only way that I feel good anymore. I need you to take me.” She half ordered, pulling his hair at the nape of his neck and leaping into his arms, wrapping around his frame as her eyes spilled over with tears.

“As much as we can get before we say goodbye again. Please.” She urged again, nibbling at his neck and grinding her hips against his, forgetting about what she asked him before and focusing on how badly she wanted to be held and handled by her lover again.

 

Peter started forming a response in his mind to her question, explaining that he wanted her to have a day or two to recover her strength so she could effectively execute the things he taught her, but Winter’s insistent advances were quickly blotting out anything close to reasonable thought in his mind. Still he held back from responding the way she wanted him to, he knew full well that he had been the one to start this back up between them but now that he was losing the fight to keep his emotions out of this it was harder to dismiss his guilt in favor of sating the hunger he had for his former lover.

She urged him to touch her, to take her while he could and while that was the sentiment he’d worked from last night now he worried that ‘while he could’ just wasn’t going to be enough for him in the end. Peter growled in his chest as she started grinding against him, her mouth on his neck pleading and demanding at the same time. Peter slid his hands up her body, making her shiver till he cupped either side of her head, drawing her face up to meet his in a heated, needy kiss. He knew he shouldn’t be letting this happen again for both their sakes, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop.

Winter melted into him, matching the passion of his kiss and mewling when he lifted her up and sat her on the edge of the counter. Her hands slipped down and curled into the hem of his dark sweater, he broke from her just long enough to help her tug the garment off over his head then his lips were on hers again while his hands worked open her loose flannel button-down. Winter shed her top and bra, bracing her hands on the slick countertop so he could tug her leggings and panties off her hips and they both laughed softly at her little squeak in response to her bare flesh on the cold surface.

Peter soon distracted her from it however, sliding his hand down her flat belly to tease at her center, swirling his fingers over her clit and trailing his lips down her throat to her pert breasts, making her shake and moan as he played her body like finely tuned instrument. The werewolf still knew exactly how to touch her to make her lose her mind, and he savored bringing her right to the edge of climax but not quite letting her fall over the brink. Winter bucked her hips up into his hand, his name falling from her lips and it made his resolve to drag out her release falter when she started begging for him just like she’d told him she wouldn’t do earlier.

Peter grinned against her flesh, continuing to work her just enough to keep her on the verge of shattering, raising his head to watch her face contort with pleasure and feeling that same high he got from possessing her, from feeling like she was his and his alone, that he was the only one who could make her fall apart like this. His own arousal was getting painfully restricted by his jeans, but he was enjoying what he was doing to her so much that he still held her captive to his ministrations for another ten minutes till her noises grew more desperate and he knew by now that when he finally made her come that it would unmake her completely.

He flicked his jeans open freeing his throbbing arousal and pulled her closer to the edge of the counter, prodding at her entrance with his tip and groaning himself at how soaked she was, “Winter, look at me.” He panted, meeting her glassy lust-darkened gaze, the thin rings of her irises blazing steel blue like his own. She pleaded for him again and he finally pushed into her heat, cursing under his breath at the way she arched and cried out for him.

“Please, Peter.” Winter begged him just like she swore she would never do again, her hold on him tightening as he urged her to meet his gaze. She followed his insistence and looked straight into his eyes while their bodies merged together, crying out as he stretched and filled her once more. “Yes.” She sighed, pleased to get what she finally wanted from him, or rather all she could get from him.

Her arms wrapped around his upper half, arching into each slow thrust that built with every moment. She moaned with him, never letting her eyes fall from his own bright blue gaze, glad she still had the same effect on him that she used to. “Kiss me.” She encouraged, cupping his neck in either hand and pulling him down to meet her lips, groaning when he instantly ravished her mouth with his own. “Harder.” She growled this time, her pleasure building rapidly, clenching around him deliberately to try and urge him over with her.

Peter braced and slammed into her rougher like she asked of him, making her whimper and bite his lip to keep from getting loud again. Her eyes flickering back to meet his, their brows pressing together as she warned him of her peak. With a few more rapid thrusts and another cry of his name through a shaky breath he had her unraveling completely, soaking him in her pleasure and feeling him follow her over, spilling his seed within her body.

The couple panted together, their breath mingling and this time she remained hooked around him, letting him support her light weight and pressing kisses along his lips. She wouldn’t let him withdraw quite yet, nails biting into his shoulders when he tried to pull back even an inch or two. She shook her head adamantly at the taller man, “I’ve missed you.” Winter whispered, grasping at him and running her hands up his neck and through the hair on the back of his head as she nuzzled into his shoulder, resting her chin atop it. “Peter I’ve missed you every second. I still miss you. I can’t express how much you hurt me. I know you chased after me but—I’m not sure it’s enough.”

She didn’t cry this time, soothing him instead of herself through touch and gentle brushes of her lips along his collarbone and neck. “I love you more than anything. I will always love you, it kills me to watch you with Livi. I can’t keep her from loving you and while a part of me wants to—I just can’t. She knows every good thing there is about you and she knows I had to leave you but she’s too little to understand it too.” She said, rubbing his neck with one hand while the other ran through his thick hair in comfort. “I need you in any way that I can have you and for as long as this lasts.” She muttered, closing her eyes and pressing her lips to his.

“For as long as this lasts.” Peter echoed her words under his breath, his heart sinking further on every syllable. Before Winter had become a part of his life he never would’ve believed for an instant that he would come to be so deeply invested in someone else, in tying so much of his own sanity and happiness into another person. He felt completely divided within himself, what Winter said made him want to push her away for both their sakes just as strongly as it made him want to cling fast to her and never let go for both their sakes. He wasn’t used to being so at odds with himself.

The werewolf sighed roughly as her lips continued to ghost over his neck and jawline, slipping from her heat and hooking his arm under her knees, lifting her up off the counter and carrying her over to the recessed living room area. He set her gently on the rug by the fire, adding a few split logs to it to build it back up and snatching a couple pillows off the sofa for her to rest her head on. Peter smiled as he admired her naked form in the flickering firelight, settling on his side next to her and running his hand slowly up and down her willowy curves making her purr like the feline she was.

She tugged at him after a while and he followed her languid prompting, covering her body with his and grinding his returning arousal against her center while his lips and teeth grazed on her chest and throat. Winter’s breathing sped and she tugged on his hair, prompting him to tip his head up and meet her lips in a hungry kiss. The leopard pushed at his shoulder and he took cue, rolling to his back on the floor and watching her raptly as she climbed atop him and kissed her way down his chest before curving up and sitting up straight, giving him a lovely view of her body as she took his hard thick length in her hand and slowly slid down onto it.

Peter’s mouth hung open in a silent moan as she took him to the hilt, his hands stroking her thighs lightly but he resisted the urge to guide her motions, simply enjoying her doing as she pleased for the moment. Her eyes fell closed as she started to ride him, little moans and gasps falling from her lips and Peter slid one hand up her leg to start circling his thumb over her clit, using her own slickness and savoring the way his touch made her lose control of the volume of her cries. 

Her hands ghosted over her chest and Peter groaned lowly as he watched her fondle and tweak her breasts, her dark hair swaying about her shoulders as her pace increased and she brought herself to orgasm and it took all his control not to lose it as her walls clenched and fluttered around him.

“Don’t stop kitten, keep coming for me…” Peter grunted, finally starting to thrust up into her motions and he gripped her hips to keep her in place, pushing her back over the edge on the heels of her climax and drawing out her peak till he couldn’t stand it any more, exploding deep within her with a ragged curse. Winter slumped forward atop him and he rolled them to their sides, slipping from her heat with a rough sigh. She curled into him automatically and he chuckled lightly, reaching behind him blindly to pull the throw blanket off the couch to cover their entwined bodies.

“We shouldn’t rest here for too long.” He cautioned, but she was already halfway asleep and only hummed absently in response. Peter laughed again and spent the next while gently brushing his fingers through Winter’s hair, soothing her in her slumber. He hadn’t meant to drift off himself, but the next thing he knew he was waking up with Winter still tangled against him in the light of mid-morning, realizing with a jolt that what had woken him was his daughter’s sweet voice calling to them, accusing them of having a ‘sleep-party’ whatever that was, without her.

 

"I wanna snuggle too!" Olivia giggled and went to try and tug at the covers over them, stirring Winter when Peter gently nudged her back. "Mommy I see your butt!" She gasped, laughing again. "I have to wear my clothes." She huffed.

Winter wasn't fast enough to cover herself, shifting and sitting up between Peter's legs and laughing nervously as she looked back at him. She covered her reddened face, "Umm-- Yeah. We were staying warm. Body heat." She defended, rubbing her tired eyes and looking around for their clothes.

Peter reached for a pillow and covered himself up when she moved and Winter quickly scooped up Livi with the blanket wrapped around her frame and took her out of the room. "C'mon sweetie lets go get you a snack then mommy and daddy can get breakfast going." She said, feeling silly but laughing it off.

She quickly got herself changed and went back out to see her daughter was happily swinging her legs in the stool she left her in. Winter walked past the kitchen opening and heard Peter coming down the stairs, meeting him at the bottom. He seemed hesitant like she might do something or be upset with him but she smiled tightly again.

She giggled and he laughed, her arms wrapping around his middle as she stepped into him with a shake of her head. "Guess we were both exhausted huh?" She sighed, her hands running along his chest and she stood on her toes when he replied, kissing him lightly. "Thank you for last night." She muttered, looking uo at him. It was the first time they were civil outside of sex.

"Think maybe we can start working on my whole concealment thing?" She asked, resting her head on his chest and almost forgetting that she had been upset with him at all.

"No, thank you." He murmured after only a second of hesitation. Peter rolled with Winter's sudden change in demeanor with a fair amount of grace, adjusting quickly but still remaining wary of the hostility he expected from her to flare up at any second. He wasn't sure if she was coming around, really warming up to him again or if she was simply making more of an effort to play nicely for their daughter's sake. Either way her sweetness was almost harder to bear than her wrath, because it gave him a glimpse of what he could've had if he'd made a different choice three years ago.

"Yes, we should begin today. I wanted to give you some time to recuperate but you seem to be getting your strength back nicely." He observed with a little smile as he looked down at the slender woman in his arms and nearly following his impulse to kiss the top of her head but deciding against it at the last minute.

Winter's head perked when she heard Olivia calling her name, answering back and turning to see that the girl had finished the small bunch of grapes Winter had given her and was demanding more to fill her stomach. Peter followed after the leopard and chuckled lightly when his daughter asked him for french toast.

"Aren't you getting a little tired of that? I'll show you something else good, hmm?" Peter asked as he started getting out what he needed to bake the cinnamon rolls he'd purchased along with bacon and fruit. As usual the girl was intensely interested in everything he was doing, and he cut off the request he knew would be coming to hold her and watch by scooping her off the stool and resting her on his hip in one arm while he prepared everything nearly as quickly as he might've with the use of both hands.

He knew Winter was watching them and he felt a bit guilty hearing her words repeat in his head that it killed her to see them together but on the other hand, just like her he wanted to get everything he could while it was available, not just from Winter but from Olivia as well. He didn't care if it made him selfish, he couldn't help himself. They ate breakfast together and got Olivia set up with another movie, having to bargain with her for playtime later when Peter explained that he and mommy needed to get some work done while she watched her film.

The pair sat across from each other on the floor in the living area, still in sight of their daughter but a little apart so they could focus better. Peter started explaining the principle behind masking her aura and scent as he remembered his father doing for Talia, Peter hadn't been meant to learn the skill but he'd spied on enough of their training to grasp the method and taught himself the technique. It was simple in theory but took a lot of concentration at first, suppressing one's own presence wasn't something that came naturally and it was especially difficult with a three year old asking them questions and telling them about what was happening in her movie every minute or so.

Finally after about the tenth time of telling Olivia to sit quietly and watch her movie, Peter chuckled and shook his head at the leopard, "I really don't think we're going to make much progress on this while the munchkin is awake. For now just, think about what I told you and we'll try again tonight once she's in bed?" He proposed, hauling himself up off the floor and helping Winter up as well when she agreed with his assessment.

They joined Olivia on the sofa, and again Peter was surprised when Winter reclined back against him with Livi in her lap, as though they always spent lazy afternoons all curled up together like this watching... Frozen. The werewolf made himself stay relaxed despite the tension he was feeling unsure of how to interpret this new closeness that he craved but didn't dare to hope was a sign that she might be starting to forgive him, even if it was only a fraction of an amount and only for Olivia's sake.

Winter curled up against Peter, surprised at herself for doing so but it was like she said, she wanted all she could get now and hoped he would simply give it to her without question. She cuddled Livi to her front and rested her hand over the man’s thigh, reaching out and half indicating for him to take her hand. When her fingers brushed over his a few times back and forth he understood and wrapped his fingers around her own. She nuzzled into his broad chest further, sighing happily while they watched Olivia’s movie as a family.

She felt like it was the good old days, when she just met Peter, when she spent most of her time locked up with him though she truly had the freedom to come and go, especially after he took out the men trying desperately to find her and bring her back into their pack. She missed those times and wished of course that they could go back there, only with Olivia where she rested with the couple now. Her mind drifted, wondering if he was ready to be a full time father or not.

She hadn’t even noticed that it turned evening, drifting in and out of comforted sleep until Olivia mentioned she was hungry for dinner. She heard Peter getting up, gently guiding Winter to sit up off him so he could go feed their daughter and the woman stirred, smiling up at him and stopping him when Livi jumped off her lap. “Peter hold on.” She said, tugging his hand and urging him down to her level. He muttered a soft ‘what’ but she answered him instantly, pressing her lips to his and kissing him slow and sweet. He seemed caught off guard but responded in kind, giving her a tight smile and she tugged him again when he started to straighten, “Please… don’t be so tense. I know that’s how things are between us but I want every good second with you that I can get.” She stated.

\---

By the time Olivia’s bedtime rolled around, Peter already managed to get her in her pjs, telling her a story while she cuddled up with her teddy in bed, listening to him intently and asking over and over again what happened next. Winter smiled and stepped into the doorway, going to kiss their little girl good night when she asked her to, “I’ll see you in the morning, Peanut.” She said softly, brushing the girls hair back lightly and watching her eyes flutter closed. Peter kissed her as well and got up and instantly Winter snatched his hand, making him let her hold onto him like she craved while they walked back out.

“Can you teach me now you think?” She muttered when they got back down the steps. “I know she’s safe here so I think I can focus better.” The brunette said, letting his fingers go when she felt he was growing tense again. “I’m sorry she’s a distraction but she doesn’t know any better and it’s always been the two of us—she’s so adjusted to constant attention and affection. Though I guess she gets that from me too. I know it makes it really hard but I’ve been trying to help her even here and remind her one of us can’t always be holding her.” She rattled off, mumbling the words and hoping it wasn’t upsetting her ex-lover.

“She asked me this morning… when I took her to snack while we dressed, if—If she was going to be able to stay here with you.” Winter whispered, biting her lower lip and feeling torn between two feelings, the love she still had for Peter and the reminder that he hurt them. “I just thought you should know she’s been asking. In case she brings it up to you too. I was sort of thinking that if we leave again… that maybe we could be okay enough to—for me to let you see her sometimes. On holidays maybe? I don’t know what to do.”

 

Peter's brows rose in shock at Winter's words, he never imagined for a second that she'd allow him even a small presence in Olivia's life after this week. Not that he'd begun this little adventure with any mind to participate in his daughter's life outside of supporting them financially, that was still his plan, wasn't it? The werewolf shook himself mentally.

"I- I wish I knew what the best course to take was, but I'm afraid I don't have much experience in these matters either. Holidays sound... Nice. We'll figure it out as we go, hmm? For now you need to focus on the here and now or you won't be able to master the technique I started explaining earlier today." Peter quickly recovered from the curve ball she'd thrown him, trying to redirect the conversation to something less hazardous for the time being.

Peter used a meditation type method of sorts to teach Winter to focus and mask her presence, it was an extremely simple mental exercise but simple didn't mean easy. She picked it up almost immediately just like he knew she would, eliminating her scent and aura, slowing her heartbeat so that she could conceal herself in every possible way and give herself the greatest advantage when on the run. She seemed pleased with her aptitude but he shook his head, getting up and gesturing for her to follow him outside.

"Don't start celebrating just yet. Being able to disguise yourself at rest under no threat is a fine first step-" Peter told her as he jogged down the patio steps, opting to leave his shoes off despite the chill temperature and tugging off his dark sweater he wore as well, tossing it back over the deck railing when his feet hit the sand.

"But the real test is masking yourself and maintaining it under... Duress." Peter added as he let his true werewolf nature slowly come to the surface, eyes igniting with blue light and his fangs protruding past his smirk. Winter seemed to understand what he was getting at, padding down onto the beach and facing him, her stance wary and her eyes widening when he transformed to his fullest extent before her, becoming something between wolf and man, a powerhouse of sleek black fur and solid muscle, long raking claws and wicked fangs to match. 

"I'll give you a ten second head-start. Run." Peter growled, his voice several octaves lower and far rougher than she had ever heard it. Winter hesitated for only a second more, then she was off like a shot in the darkness, the light padding over her feet over the sand nearly lost in the crashing of the waves but his keen senses still picked it out.

Winter tore off down the shoreline and tried to get out of sight and be as quiet as possible. She hadn't exactly ever had to run from Peter and for some reason she felt it was quite different than running from her past clan. Her heart was racing and she knew it, closing her eyes like she had before to try and conceal herself but her mind kept focusing on the sounds of Peter counting down until he hit one.

She jolted as she stumbled in the sound out of fright. She knew he wouldn't do anything to her but the reminder of her past sent a chill up her spine or maybe it was driving up her want with how he looked and sounded. She barely caught her footing, running faster than she had before. Her adrenaline was pumping making her pulse quicken, gasping for breath. She was very much aware of Peter being faster than her and stronger.

She darted down the shore and found a line of rocks up towards the walking trail. The leopards eyes glowed and she hid up behind them, doing her best to quiet her heart, mask her scent and hide from her lover. She could hear him coming but then it stopped, his presence disappearing entirely and she wondered if he was doing the same.

Winter wasn't sure how long she had been hiding out but it felt like a good few minutes. She wondered if Peter had given up on trying to find her so she eased just slightly. "Ahh--Mmm!!" She screamed, heart pounding in her chest when she felt him grab her, covering her mouth with her own hands. He growled about how she smelled like fear and he could practically feel her heart beating.

She stared at him, breathing heavily and starting to slump out of being startled. Her eyes watered, reminded of the times she had been taken but she quickly recovered, roaring and slicing at his chest and abdomen. The were gathered herself and ducked under his arm before he could grab her, slamming him into the rocky ledge as she tore off once more. She made more of an effort to hide out from him this time, running through the very edge of the water, slowing her heart and masking her scent as she ran.

Peter was pleased when she didn't hold back trying to get away from him, slamming him hard against the rocks and she was off like a shot into the dark once more. He could see easily in full night just like her, but with all the bluffs and dunes along the shore it was fairly easy to get out of sight if you got far enough ahead. Winter was afraid, probably not so much of him personally but of what him pursuing her like this reminded her of, but really that was for the best. She had to be able to maintain her cover even when she was terrified, so he would push her as far as he needed to in order to make sure she was ready for the real thing.

Winter did a fairly decent job of hiding herself from him, muddling her scent in the ocean and managing to get a hold of herself enough to mask her presence. He stalked over the uneven shoreline, thoughtlessly masking his own presence perfectly while dialing up his senses to the highest degree having long ago mastered the skill he was teaching her now. He waited again, hoping she'd learned from her earlier mistake not to let her guard down and after several minutes he still couldn't catch a scent.

The werewolf smirked, though with his more lupine features it just looked like a snarl, pleased that she was doing so well on her first trial. He waited a few moments longer, then took a deep breath and let out a deep, blood-curdling roar and just like he expected, he caught a whiff of her sudden alarm at the sound as well as the slight sound of her pushing off from where she was hiding several yards down the beach and it was all he needed to get right back on her trail again.

He counted the seconds waiting for her to get her defenses back up, hanging back enough so she wouldn't see him but by now if he'd really been out for her blood he could've killed her twice over. Peter circled around where she was hiding, hearing her breathing trying to get her body back under control but once lost he knew quite well how difficult it was to get it back.

Peter kept himself totally hidden till he was nearly upon her once more, giving her one last chance but she still remained exposed and he decided she wasn't going to regroup from the fright he'd given her. "Four times." He murmured just as he allowed himself to come into view, now back in his human shape save for his glowing eyes so he could see clearly in the dark. Winter jolted at his sudden appearance but relaxed marginally when she saw he'd shifted back from his wolf form.

"Four times I could've taken you down if I'd had a mind to." He quipped, smiling crookedly at her and reaching out his hand to help her stand from the crouch she was in among the wind-exposed rocks. "You see? It's easy enough in theory, but not so much in practice. It's just a higher form of controlling the shift, you need to stay centered no matter what. We'll train more tomorrow night, but you should still practice maintaining it through the day." He told her, keeping her hand in his rather than releasing it once she was up and walking with her back along the beach.

By now the house was quite small in the distance, he was fairly sure his little stunt with roaring wouldn't have woken Olivia but he still had the impulse to hurry back, make sure she was all right in case she had woken up. He didn't want her to suddenly find herself alone, he never wanted her to feel that way ever again. Peter's grip tightened on Winter's hand involuntarily and she asked him if there was anything wrong.

"No, not at all. I was just... Thinking about Olivia. Wondering if she'll need to learn this one day as well." He responded, not exactly lying but not exactly telling the whole truth either. It was something that concerned him, the question of what their daughter would turn out to be and if it would put her in the same kinds of dangers Winter had faced over the years.

Winter had considered the same things Peter seemed to be. If Olivia would need similar training to protect herself. She squeezed his hand in response and leaned into him now. "Is she really guaranteed to be like us?" She asked curiously, listening to his answer that she was promised the gene which meant she would be a wolf or a snow leopard like them.

"I'll teach her as soon as I see signs of the shift. Maybe we can come see you when I notice it and you can help her too." She muttered, keeping pace with him easily though her heart was still racing. He promised her she would grasp it soon on her own as well. "I don't like playing chase very much." She told him, her eyes watering.

Peter sighed and she knew what he was thinking that perhaps she worried he would hurt her. "Peter..." She whispered, "You're the only person I wanted to chase me. It's silly but..." She shrugged, "The one time you followed me you did only good. It's scary to think I have to hide. What if I want you to find us someday?" She muttered, feeling silly but figuring he knew what she meant.

They were quiet for the walk back home and she let him lead her inside, going to check on Olivia while he cleaned up his things a bit. She could hear him down the hall getting ready for bed while she sat by their daughter, petting her head and grinning when she kissed her head. "Love you."

Winter got to her feet and saw Peter undressing in his room. She pushed open the door further and went to him, pushing off her jeans and then crawling on his mattress in her shirt and panties. His eyes darted over to her instantly asking what she was doing, wondering if she needed him again. "Can I sleep with you?" She asked him, already getting under the covers. "I won't stay all night."

 

Peter felt Winter's gaze on him as he shucked off his slightly damp sandy clothes, but by now he was sort of coming to expect the attention with the pattern they'd established from their first night here. He didn't acknowledge it, giving her the freedom to decide if she was going to join him for the night or not, but hoping in spite of his better judgement that she would.

Finally she came into his room, circling him and a bit to his surprise making no advances on him like she had been, simply asking to sleep with him in his bed a while when he questioned her presence. He shrugged and nodded, wandering to the bathroom and snatching a comb off the counter then coming back in and climbing on his bed to sit cross-legged on the mattress.

Winter peered up at him curiously from under the covers, eyeing the comb in his hand. "Come here. I can smell how on edge you are." He prompted, remembering from when they were together in the past that one of the wereleopard's favorite things when she needed comfort was him brushing her hair for her. He smiled and hushed her when she tried to dismiss his offer, mumbling about how she knew it was silly for her to feel uneasy when she knew he wouldn't have actually seriously hurt her out there. 

"It doesn't surprise me. Being hunted like that, even if it was for your own good this time, was bound to dredge up some unpleasant memories." Peter responded quietly, running the comb through her soft brunette tresses and following the strokes with his fingers. Winter melted like butter under his touch, a little purr escaping her after a few minutes and Peter suppressed a chuckle. He kept up his work till she was swaying slightly where she sat, setting the comb down after a while and just using his hands, stroking through her hair and massaging her scalp till she was putty in his hands.

When he was fairly sure she was practically asleep where she sat, Peter gently cupped her neck and the side of her head with one hand, gripping her shoulder with the other and slowly guiding her down to lay on her side. Winter murmured sleepily, telling him she could leave and thanking him for making her feel better, adding that he always knew how to make her feel better and the werewolf was fairly certain she wasn’t fully aware of what she was saying anymore.

“Sleep now, shh.” Peter hushed her, tugging the blankets up over her body and watching her a moment as sleep fully claimed her. He lightly brushed his fingertips over her cheek, then carefully climbed out of bed and wandered into the room where his daughter slept. He leaned his shoulder against the door, watching her silently for a long while, thoughts circling in his head that somehow managed to ground and throw him at once.

Near dawn Peter wandered back into his bedroom, smirking a bit at the tight little ball Winter had curled herself into in slumber. He gingerly got back into bed, curving his larger frame around hers and casting his arm over her, feeling her unconsciously nuzzle closer into him and sighing at the feeling of rightness that settled over him with her tucked in against him. Sleep claimed him quickly with the sound of her light steady heartbeat to soothe him.

Winter roused the next morning to the feeling of Peter’s strong arms around her waist, surrounding her with his warmth and keeping her comforted through the night like he used to. She purred tiredly, stretching and stirring the man beside her, giggling when she felt his grip tighten around her, his body awake but his mind seeming in somewhat of a daze. She wriggled back against him playfully, biting her lower lip and wondering what he dreamt about the night before.

“Good morning to you too.” She teased, making him groan at the closeness of their frames. Peter shifted just a bit more and kissed along her shoulder and the back her neck, making her smile. Her eyes fluttered closed, enjoying the feeling of his lips on her skin before she rolled over onto her back for him, meeting his lips in a slow deep kiss and groaning at the raw taste of him. He muttered a greeting against her lips, trailing down over her neck and between her breasts.

“Where are you going?” She asked, tugging his hair lightly when his head started to disappear under the covers. Winter laughed at the tickling sensation his scruff along his chin caused her, wriggling a bit in anticipation. She lifted the covers and folded them back over his shoulders so she could see his eyes going blue with his want to taste her, “Peter…” She moaned, gripping the pillow by her head and arching into him when he ventured no further.

He smirked and kissed her belly affectionately, making her scold him with a little tug of his hair at the base of his neck. “Don’t tease me.” She whispered sleepily, her eyes closing once more, lying back as he started to undress her, pulling her panties down her hips to get to what he so clearly wanted. Just as he tugged the fabric an inch or two, Winter caught sight of their daughter in the doorway, just having wandered up and entering without the mind to ask. “Peter.” She swatted at his head, pulling him more insistently and this time he growled, lifting his body off her own and noting the sound of Olivia’s tiny footsteps.

“Hi Sweetie.” The brunette cooed when Peter sat up enough to climb to her side rather than be down by her legs any longer. She smiled and laced their fingers, squeezing his reassuringly when she thought he might get upset but much to her surprise he let them go and instead reached out for Olivia, quickly recovering himself.

Livi leapt up onto the bed and crawled between the two of them, asking to snuggle too. “How come Mommy gets to sleep with you but I don’t?” She whined, her teddy held tight in her arms and she took to sucking her thumb like she often did. “I want cuddles too. Can I stay here tomorrow?” She asked, “And the next day and the next week and next month and next year!”

Winter smiled sorrowfully and lightly tapped her daughters back, rubbing it gently to get her attention. “We won’t be here all year, you know that.” She murmured, feeling guilty when she caught her lover’s gaze. She gave him a smile, as if that might help but she could tell in his eyes that he didn’t want her to leave. The mother was still debating with herself what was the best route.

Peter's smile bent somewhat as Olivia babbled enthusiastically about all of them staying together for the days ahead. Winter chided her gently and the girl let the issue drop easily, focusing her attention on climbing onto Peter's chest and rubbing her small hands over the scruff on his face and neck. She asked him why his face was scratchy and he chuckled in his throat.

"My face is scratchy because I need to shave and I forgot my razor." He told her, nodding in acknowledgement when the girl announced that he should stay scratchy because she liked how it felt, patiently letting her rub her hands on his face as much as she cared to. He glanced at Winter who was watching them fondly, and he was struck by how beautiful she looked to him with her hair all mussed from sleep and a fond smile adorning her lips. It really did feel good, all of them together like this and Peter had to stop himself from asking Winter right then and there to stay with him permanently. 

They lazed in bed a little while longer before Peter finally led the charge of getting up and ready for the day. He told them both to get dressed for going out in the cool air, getting a shower that he let run colder on purpose considering that his body was still protesting he and Winter's activities being interrupted.

Olivia asked him at least a hundred times where they were going, and Peter simply kept telling her to wait and see while he got her buckled into her new car seat and on the drive into the small town closest to the beach house. Winter seemed curious as well but he was glad to see that she didn't look wary of him not telling her where they were headed like she might've at the beginning of their week together.

He had seen signs posted around town when he went shopping for a local fall harvest festival taking place today, and the activities they advertised seemed like things Olivia might enjoy: A petting zoo, a few carnival type games, pumpkin painting, various foods and handmade items for sale. It wasn't a place he ever would have considered going in the past, but just one gasp of excitement from his daughter when she saw the first pen of goats you could feed hay to and pet instantly made the venture worth it.

Winter called after Olivia not to wander too far as she sped off ahead of them to the pen, glancing up at Peter with an odd expression that he couldn't quite read and he chuckled, "What? It's not like we can get any work done during the day with her needing attention. I thought she might enjoy it." He defended his actions, taking his own scarf off and wrapping it around Winter's neck against the crisp fall air. 

"We better not let her get too far ahead." He mentioned, taking a chance and offering her his hand, holding his breath waiting to see if she would take it or not to walk after Olivia.

Winter contemplated Peter’s hand extended and opened for her. She thought about the very first time they met, the way he opened his hands to her and showed he meant her no harm, the warmth he gave when she took his hand the first time… The first time they curled up together and the very first time they made love in his bed. It wasn’t a thought of if she should take it, the action was simply natural, feeling his rougher hand under hers as she slipped her fingers along his palm and soon enough their digits laced together.

She returned back to the here and now, unable to help the smile on her face when she looked up at him. “Lead the way.” She said, assuring him with a squeeze of her hand around his that she would surely follow. He grinned and nodded, doing just that and leading her towards their daughter who was eagerly racing towards the goats. The were leaned into him, enjoying the residual warmth of his scarf around her neck as they walked and caught up to their little girl.

“What is that!?” Olivia squealed, pointing at the goats and then trying to climb the gate until a vendor helped her off. The parents caught up with her and Peter snatched her hand to slow her trying to get inside, lightly telling her they needed to stick together out here and the blonde nodded. He helped her into the petting zoo and Livi was beside herself with amazement seeing all the new animals and asking Peter a thousand questions as if he knew the answer to everything in the world because to her, he did.

She screamed at the mini horse that was flicking its tail and Peter winced, going over to pick her up, Winter reluctantly having to let his fingers go. “Daddy what is that?” She asked, her lip poking out showing she was bound to cry when the horse made noises towards them. Winter watched with happiness as Peter took to comforting her and trying to get her over her fear in a matter of moments, bending down with her and setting her on her feet, gently guiding her to the animal. He explained what it was, reaching his own hand out to scratch at its nose, showing her it meant her no harm. “They have chickens. How come they don’t kill them and eat them?” She questioned, not understanding why they wouldn’t take advantage of what they had.

“Honey we don’t eat all animals. Only what we need remember?” Winter said, going to stand by them and silently requesting Peter’s hand so she could take it again. He stood up and laced their fingers, taking Olivia’s hand in his opposite one and smiling at them both when Livi nodded her remembrance. “Look. We can feed them.” She said, leading the way to the oat bags so they could all feed the animals.

They spent a good while in the petting zoo but Olivia soon discovered that vendors had hundreds of ‘teddys’ hanging about. She tried to take one down on her own, snatching it and hugging it close to her chest. “Oh you are so pretty. Teddy needs a friend.” She muttered, bumping into Peter’s leg and yet again he bent to her level to explain parts of the world to her that she hadn’t quite grasped yet.

Her brow furrowed when he finished, “But I want this one.” Livi whispered, “Can you win her for me? She has a tu-tu like the girls.” She said, remembering the ballerinas she saw once before and picking absently at the little pink skirt the teddy bear wore. Peter sighed and tugged out his wallet, straightening and asking the vendor if he could simply buy the bear outright but the man smirked and rejected his offer of its worth.

“She wants the doll. Yah gotta win it jus’ like everybody else.” The man said in a thick Jersey accent, something foreign to both Winter and Olivia. Peter glared at the man but Winter grasped his arm to assure him it was okay, smiling when Livi requested they play the game for the bear, the proper way anyhow. Peter reluctantly agreed and paid for a round of darts, smirking as he picked up the first one of three and tossed it accurately to pop the balloon, doing so all three times and winning the bear for his daughter for less than he might have paid for. The vendor seemed infuriated, grumbling to himself when they walked away to the next booth.

Olivia had Peter try almost every game, winning her balloon toys, stuffed animals, small trinkets but seeming happiest with her teddy and the attention she was getting. “What’s that?” She asked from atop Peter’s shoulders, leaning over his head and pointing to the photo booths along one side of the carnival. Winter shrugged and listened to Peter explain what having your picture taken was like. Olivia didn’t grasp the concept so instead she said, “I wanna seeeeee. Daddy.”

 

Peter glanced at Winter and shrugged when she seemed to have no objections, wandering over to the photo booths and lifting Olivia off his shoulders so they could fit inside. It was a tight fit with his broad shouldered frame along with Winter and Olivia in their laps, but they all managed to squeeze in and Peter showed his daughter where to look and left it up to her and Winter to do most of the posing, though he did give Olivia his cheek when she asked for a picture kissing him. 

They climbed back out and Olivia seemed to enjoy the experience, thinking sitting in a small room and making funny faces was the whole experience but he kept her from running off while they waited a minute or so for the film strips to extrude from the side of the booth. Peter crouched at Olivia's level and showed her the images, more than pleased by her delighted reaction to them. She urged them to take more and Peter relented, amused by the faces and poses Livi made for each new snapshot.

For the last picture the girl craned her head around and demanded that mommy and daddy kiss for a picture, using the fact that she'd kissed both of them for a picture and now it was their turn. Peter glanced up from his daughter to Winter, trying to gauge what she thought of the idea by her expression. Of course they'd been kissing and far more the past few days, but he wasn't sure that she'd be too keen on having a documented image of it when he wasn't sure where they stood now.

After a moment more of Olivia whining at them to do as she requested, Winter agreed and leaned in towards him almost shyly, her aqua eyes darting between his own and Peter heard her heartbeat skip as their lips touched softly. Peter had his hand on the button to snap the picture but he was entirely distracted by Winter's lips on his, it was almost like their first 'real kiss' since finding each other again. 

He deepened the contact, sliding his fingers into the woman's soft brown hair and she melted, kissing him back with everything she had until Olivia grew impatient and whined at them to hurry up and take the photo, reminding them of the world beyond each other once more. Peter smirked against Winter's lips and took the picture, breaking from his former lover and taking a few deep breaths to center himself as he gazed at her.

They climbed out of the booth and looked over the new round of pictures, Olivia requested they take more but Peter was able to dissuade her with the temptation of getting lunch instead. He tucked the photo strips in his coat pocket for safe keeping for now, never having been one for something as sentimental as family photos but he liked the idea of letting Olivia keep them as her memory of him. Maybe he might even keep one for himself once they were gone, though that thought was sitting less and less well with him as time went on.

Winter smiled at her family absently, though the deeper she thought about their situation the more she realized technically her and Peter weren’t anything but partners in bed until the week was up. She took his hand again out of want and need, feeling a blush in her cheeks when he looked at her, perhaps surprised by the fact that she was instigating more than just the nights they bedded down together now. Olivia seemed quite happy and how could she take that from her at this point. Four days and their daughter had forgiven and loved her father.

They spent the rest of their day at the fair, playing a few more games and petting the animals again after they ate their lunch of corndogs and funnel cake, on top of cotton candy Olivia insisted on tasting. They finished off their day with nachos and a fried oreo, the little girl could put away just about anything you gave her. “I hope we haven’t spent too much of your money. She doesn’t really get that you aren’t just given things.” Winter said softly to Peter who was paying for their final ‘snack’ while Olivia wriggled and sat at the table by herself. Winter reached up and brushed Peter’s hair back into place, smiling up at him and muttering him a thank you for having been so good to them since they came back.

\----

The rest of the week went by all too quickly and Winter even pushed off leaving up until day ten, claiming it was because of Olivia’s insistence but really it was out of selfish need to be with Peter again. One last time she kept promising herself over and over again and then she would find herself struggling with getting out of his bed the next morning to pack up once more. She had finally mastered masking her scent now, leaving her with even less of an excuse to stay longer considering she no longer needed his help.

The leopard looked down at the duffle she had unzipped, holding in her hands the credit cards Peter had given her to take, offering to pay for a place they could stay in even. It was all too much and she was finding it difficult to thank him let alone say goodbye. She glanced over and noted Olivia’s bag missing again, for the fourth time it would have been now, the girl kept hiding all her things and even unpacking Winter’s bag to keep them from having to go.

She sighed, trying not to disturb their slumbering three year old in bed behind her. She shook her head at the sight of her, taking the cards with her when she left the room and wandering out only to bump right into Peter in the hall where he was exiting his own room as well. Winter’s eyes were filling with tears, unable to look at him directly, “She hid her bag again.” She said, blinking back the stream that threatened to spill over. Peter lifted his hand a bit and revealed he was grasping a couple of her panties, one of her bras and a few of her shirts folded in his hand.

“Peter.” Winter started, her voice cracking and she nudged his hand down to put her clothes on the table in the hallway. He clearly knew what was wrong or had something of a guess but she wouldn’t let him speak up quite yet. “I can’t take these.” She whispered, tears spilling from her lashes and down her cheeks as she lifted the cards towards him once more and shook her head when he demanded that she had to let him help in some way, asking why she was fighting his assistance. “Because it’s not what we need from you…” She cried, her lip trembling as she tried to keep speaking but couldn’t.

She tilted into his frame, standing up on her toes and dropping the cards down with her clothing, grasping his face instead and kissing him deeply, tasting him until he groaned. They broke apart to breathe and a sob ripped its way out of her throat, “I need you…” She whispered, gasping as he tugged her against him and promised he could do that. “No. Peter, not only like that. I mean I need you in that manner too but… I mean I need you. I need you to ask us to stay.” The leopard continued in a soft voice, trying to keep from crying too much but it was difficult looking up at him and clinging to his shirt.

“I need you to ask me to stay. I need to hear what I am to you. What weare to you, Peter.” She sobbed once more, clinging to his frame and keeping him drawn down to her level, refusing to let him let her go even an inch. “Please? Because I don’t want to run away again.”

Peter's chest tightened up at Winter's words, part of him had been hoping for something this to come from her, hurting for it even, but that didn't stop him from feeling apprehensive about finally pulling the trigger on what had been percolating in his mind for days now. His grip on her tightened and he touched his brow to hers, staring deeply into her aqua eyes that held both hope and fear.

"Are you sure? Do you really want to take a chance on me? I can't deny that I want you and Olivia more than anything but... I know what I did to you isn't something easily forgiven or forgotten." Peter murmured and she nodded against him, whispering that she was sure that she needed all or nothing from him and what she wanted was everything. Peter swallowed hard, tipping his chin forward and kissing her deeply, partly out of sheer need but also to get that solid confirmation that this was really happening, she was really here in his arms giving him this chance at another shot.

"Winter, I want you and Olivia to stay. I need you to stay. I don't know what the hell I'm doing, I don't know the first thing about being a good father, a good provider, but... I do know that if I lose you and Olivia again, it'll end me. I want you with me more than anything and I'll do whatever it takes to keep you by my side." Peter spoke slowly and managed to keep his tone even despite the emotions roiling within him, nothing had ever meant more to him than this and he was determined not to waste this gift of a second chance.

"I love you Winter. And I love our daughter. I never want to know what life is like without my girls in it again. Please come home with me." He uttered finally, equal parts pleading and demanding. The brunette smiled through her little hiccuping sobs, tell him she would do so and Peter grinned broadly, hugging her tightly to his frame as though if he released her for even a second she might evaporate.

Winter murmured sweetly to him that she loved him, gently stroking the back of his head and her touch soothed his racing heart. He knew it was too much to ask for her to trust him completely again right away, but it still reassured him that she was willing to give him a chance to earn her trust fully again. Peter pulled back enough to meet her tear streaked face, but finally her tears were from happiness rather than hurt or fear. 

"There will never be a need for you to run away again, I promise." He whispered, tangling his hand in her dark hair and kissing her deeply. Winter mewled into the contact and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, clinging fast to him as he lifted her up and pressed her to the wall, ravishing her mouth with his till they were both panting with want. Peter's eyes were blazing blue with want when he opened them again and he barely managed to force himself to pull her away from the wall, carrying her back into his bedroom to afford them a little privacy in case Olivia woke in the night.

He gently nudged his door shut with his foot behind him, returning Winter's needy kiss as he set her down on the ground and started tugging her top up her willowy frame, breaking from her long enough to remove it then sealing his mouth to hers again as he backed her up towards his bed. They were bordering on frantic as they stripped each other down, Peter was desperate to feel every inch of her soft skin and he let his hands wander over her body freely, finally feeling no nagging sense of guilt in the back of his mind for doing so.

"I love you Kitten." He murmured as he climbed over her on his bed, kissing her possessively and growling in his throat as she wrapped herself around him, his bare sex aligning with hers and he could feel how wet she was for him. Peter began slowly grinding against her as he swallowed her moans, his lips wandering from her mouth down her throat to her chest and he could hear her heart fluttering in her chest as he touched her.

“I love you too.” Winter’s eyes were still brimming with tears but also shining blue with her want for her lover above her, kissing Peter frantically and aching for him to take her. She whimpered as he ground against her, feeling his body responding further to their closeness making her moan and pant along with him as his lips trailed from hers down her body. She grasped at his head, tugging his hair and urging him along each of her breasts.

“Take me. Peter, please.” She gasped, arching up into him but when he wouldn’t give her what she wanted quite when she wanted it she shoved at his shoulders roughly and knocked him onto his back, settling over him and grinding down against him more eagerly. She bit at his lip down his jaw, sinking down onto his thick length and groaning as he filled her up completely, like it was their first time all over again. “Mine.” She whispered airily, lifting her hips over and over to take him repeatedly, their bodies moving together in sync.

He let her have control, her mouth on his, kissing him with everything she had until she leaned back, offering him a generous view of her body and where they were connected intimately. “Oh… Yes baby.” She purred, reaching with her own hand to circle her clit with the tips of her fingers, her free hand fondling her breast, driving herself up quicker than she would have expected. Peter jolted up into her, grasping her hips and asking if she was close for him already. She nodded shakily, clenching and fluttering around him, her blue eyes meeting his as her body wrecked at his words, writhing above him and shattering at his command.

Winter came hard around him, riding out her high with a swivel of her hips but as soon as she slumped back, her lover had grabbed her by the waist, yanking her under him without disconnecting their bodies. He staked his own claim and she giggled, lying beneath him obediently and tracing his hip up to his side. Peter slammed into her heat, making her gasp, her voice growing high pitched in tone with each thrust, losing control of her own sounds and rough breathing.

She dug her nails into his warm flesh, wrapping around him more fully and clinging to his frame, allowing him all the control he wanted over her and needing it more than she thought. She wanted to know how much he still craved her, how badly he still wanted her in every way. “Harder… Ahh! God, baby… just like that.” She purred, the sound morphing into a low growl, unable to silence herself any further.  
Peter was a little surprised but more than pleased when Winter took control of their tryst, relishing the sight and feel of her losing it above him. He kept his body under strict control, refusing to follow her until she was delirious with pleasure and watching her come undone only fueled his need to push her over the edge again, to claim her and teach her body where it's pleasure came from all over again.

He flipped their bodies while she was still reeling from her first release, remaining buried inside her as he shifted them and groaning low as he settled atop her. He caged her with his forearms on either side of her shoulders, slamming into her to the rhythm of her rapid heartbeat and drinking in her sweet, desperate sounds of pleasure like fine wine.

He angled his hips up to hit her in all the right places, growling when she clawed at him and told him what she needed. Peter drove into her wildly, biting at her neck and collarbone breathing out his own desperate sounds as she clenched and shuddered around him. Winter was his once more, and he was never going to let her slip through his grasp again and he showed her that by gripping onto her so tightly that it left marks though they faded almost as quickly as he gave them.

Peter sped his pace, sliding his thick length within her over and over and Winter's cries grew more desperate as she neared the brink, prompting him to raise his head and seal his mouth to hers to muffle her noises somewhat. As much as he enjoyed making her scream in pleasure, one tiny corner of his brain reminded him of the little girl sleeping across the hall and warned that waking her would put a halt to everything that was happening right now and he absolutely could not handle that at the moment.

Peter reached down and snatched one of Winter's legs when she started to tremble so hard that she lost purchase on him, keeping her wrapped firmly around him and breaking from her just enough to harshly whisper against her lips, "You're mine now kitten. Always. Come for me my love." He kissed her again and his words triggered her like a coiled spring being released. She tensed up beneath him and he felt her walls clench around him, drawing him in deeper and he followed her over the edge with a low guttural moan. 

Peter spilled deep inside her, rolling his hips up into her until he was spent prolonging her pleasure as much as he could. Winter whimpered plaintively as she came down from her high, her body going slack beneath him and this time he allowed her legs to slide off his hips, resting his sweat dampened brow in the crook of her neck and taking a few centering breaths. The wereleopard sighed as he slid from her core, her eyes glassy from her pleasure when he met them again and Peter smiled, feathering kisses over her flushed face and neck.

"You are too damn irresistible, you know that?" Peter told her in a playful tone, kissing his way down her chest to sample her pert breasts, making her moan softly while he tasted every inch of her while he waited for his body to be ready for her again. He trailed down her flat stomach, nuzzling at the soft skin of her inner thigh before lapping at her center and grinning against her flesh at her instant reaction. She was still sensitive from her release and it only took a moment or two of him teasing her clit with his tongue before she was falling apart again, panting his name roughly as she tugged involuntarily at his hair.

Peter kept up his attentions on her little bud with his mouth, pressing to fingers into her slick heat and curling them up to stroke her firmly forcing her body to fire on all cylinders and relishing her gasping moans as he made her lose all track of rational thought. Finally he eased off his pace and let her come down, her slickness shining on his chin and he cleaned off his face on the sheet before climbing back up her body.

Winter mewled at him when he settled over her, prodding her entrance with his renewed arousal and she could hardly form a coherent string of words together anymore. "Are you all right kitten? Is it too much?" Peter asked softly, slowly sliding his length along her entrance feeling her shudder in response and she shook her head, pleading with him to take her again and Peter smiled. He kissed her sweetly, slowly pushing into her and keeping his pace even and gentle.

He brushed his fingertips through her hair at her temple, watching her face raptly as he slowly increased his pace relishing the way she uttered his name when she came apart again, her eyes falling shut as she savored her climax and he followed her. It was softer, more subdued this time, but his focus was more on simply being connected with her rather than trying to drive them both to a shattering orgasm.

"I love you." Peter breathed against her face, kissing her cheek and then her lips when she turned her head in towards his.  
Winter was panting heavily, trying to catch her breath as Peter slowed and lingered in her body a few moments more, muttering sweet things to her. “I love you too.” She whispered, her eyes opening to look up at her lover. “I love you so much.” She stated, grasping his head and threading her fingers through his hair, leaning up to kiss him again, slow and deep.

He smiled at her, their brows pressing together and she was happy to enjoy a few moments of them wrapped together, clinging to one another. Peter eventually slipped out of her and rolled to his side, lying with her and gently urging her towards him. She smiled up at him, shifting against her lover’s bare frame and cuddling up to his chest, her hands and fingers absently running over every inch of skin she could reach. “Livi will be excited. She’s begged me every night for us to stay another day. I ran out of reasons why because I don’t want to go either.” She whispered, pressing her lips to his chest.

She curled up with him, drifting off within a matter of a few moments and the next morning she roused at the light peeking in through the blinds. “Peter.” She whispered softly, patting his back when she realized that she was the one curved around him right now. He grunted lowly, taking her hand and guiding her over him as he rolled onto his back. She giggled, “No. Peter…” Her laughter continued when he lazily started kissing her, guiding her down over him and seeming overly happy that she was still there in the light of day.

“I told you I was staying. I’m keeping that promise.” She muttered, her hands braced on his chest. “Olivia will be up soon but I thought if we hurry we could grab a quick shower together.” Winter smirked, nipping his lip and getting up and off him, scampering away to his bathroom and laughing when she heard him growl and follow after her.

It was about seven when the couple were toweling off together, getting dressed once more and Winter snuck with Peter behind her into their daughters room. She bent to sit on the end of her bed, smiling when Livi’s eyes cracked open. “Good morning, Sunshine.” She whispered, kissing her little girls brow and picking her up when her arms wrapped around her almost instantly. “We have a drive ahead of us today.” She said.

“I don’t wanna go Mommy.” Livi whined, her lip quivering at the thought of leaving again.

Winter shook her head and hushed her, walking to Peter and smiling up at him as she handed their little one off. “We’re going to our new home in Beacon Hills to live with Daddy. You’ll have your own room and everything!” She cooed, brushing the girl’s sleep mused hair and laughing when she jolted upright from her father’s chest to ask him for confirmation, requesting they leave right this second.  
The small family packed up everything they brought with them to the beach house, locking it up and piling into his car to head back to Beacon Hills. The drive back was substantially less stressful than the trip going there had been, and Peter found himself more than anxious to get back. With Winter's approval he opted for driving through the night rather than stopping, letting Olivia sleep in her car seat and stopping only a couple hours in the morning to let her stretch her legs a bit once she woke. They made it back that evening and Olivia seemed more than pleased to be back in the house she remembered from the week before, asking for confirmation if this was her house now and Peter was beyond glad to tell her that it was.

Despite her initial excitement, the little girl quickly ran out of steam, tired from traveling and Peter got her bathed and put in Winter's old bed for the time being, already thinking of plans to change the guest room into something more fitting a small girl starting with bed that was more her size. He wasn't exactly sure what was fitting for her but he was confident that get his daughter suitably accommodated soon enough. The werewolf tucked the little girl in, kissing her brow and patting her hair, leaving her for the night with the door cracked open and inch or two to let in light from the hallway since she'd grown accustomed to the nightlight in the room she used at the cabin. Another item to add to the list of things to get for her.

Peter headed back downstairs, finding Winter sticking Olivia's drawings to the fridge with magnets and he smiled. She turned at the sound of him entering the kitchen and smiled a bit sheepishly, asking him if he minded her putting them up here and he shook his head, circling around the island and wrapping his arms around her thin frame, placing a kiss on her temple. "I don't mind at all, I'm glad you brought them. It makes the place seem... Warmer." He replied, glancing around his sleek minimally designed kitchen and laughing a bit in spite of himself thinking about how his home was likely going to change quite a bit in appearance now with a little girl running around.

Peter pulled Winter to rest against him, swaying their bodies gently back and forth as they looked at the rudimentary but sweet images their daughter had made. "Thank you." He murmured after a few quiet moments, nuzzling the side of his head against hers when she asked him what he was thanking her for. "For being here, taking the chance. I know it wasn't an easy decision even if we do love each other. So... Thank you." He whispered, smiling softly at her when she turned in his arms to face him, resting his brow to hers and letting his eyes slip closed as she started kneading the muscles of his neck comfortingly.

They stood wrapped together awhile longer till Winter started kissing him, softly at first but the contact soon grew more heated. The couple tasted each other leisurely, reaffirming their bond silently with every tender touch and kiss. Peter groaned in his throat when his lover nipped at his lower lip, pressing her back into the counter and grinding his growing hardness against her, his breathing getting ragged. "Come up to bed with me." He whispered, grinning when she nodded and hopped up into his arms instead of walking with him, he was more than happy to carry her upstairs.

Peter got more and more riled with her wrapped around him, bearing down on his arousal with her hips and nipping at his corded throat as he brought her to their room, but he paused before going inside and chuckled when Winter asked him why he was stopping. "Her door, I only left it open a crack." Peter commented in a rough whisper, tossing his head at the door down the hall that now stood wide open. He set his lover down and carefully eased his own bedroom door open, and sure enough Olivia was nested in his blankets sound asleep in the center of his bed, apparently determined not be left out this time.

Winter laughed softly at the sight, leaning on him and kissing at his neck once more, making him growl and he carefully pulled his door mostly shut again. "All right, so... Back downstairs awhile then. It seems we've got a sleep over to attend afterwards." He chuckled, picking her up bridal style this time and heading back down the hall to the staircase.


End file.
